Citigroup Lowers Restaurant Brands International (NYSE:QSR) Price Target to $84.00

Key Points

• Citigroup cut its price target on Restaurant Brands International to $84.00 (from $88.00) and kept a "neutral" rating, implying about a 6.4% upside from the current price.
• RBI beat Q1 expectations with $0.86 EPS vs. $0.83 and $2.26B revenue vs. $2.24B, and the company announced a $0.65 quarterly dividend and a resumed $500M share‑repurchase plan, supporting near‑term investor optimism.
• The street shows a Moderate Buy consensus (average target $83.08; 16 Buys, 9 Holds, 1 Sell), but heavy insider selling (441,490 shares, ~$32.4M in the last three months) and Popeyes softness pose potential sentiment/margin risks.

Restaurant Brands International (NYSE:QSR - Get Free Report) TSE: QSR had its price objective dropped by stock analysts at Citigroup from $88.00 to $84.00 in a report issued on Thursday,BayStreet.CA reports. The brokerage presently has a "neutral" rating on the restaurant operator's stock. Citigroup's price objective would suggest a potential upside of 6.39% from the company's current price.

Several other research analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. CL King set a $81.00 price target on shares of Restaurant Brands International in a research note on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Restaurant Brands International from $77.00 to $80.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on Restaurant Brands International from $72.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday. Stifel Nicolaus raised shares of Restaurant Brands International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their target price for the stock from $68.00 to $90.00 in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Restaurant Brands International in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Restaurant Brands International currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $83.08.

Restaurant Brands International Stock Performance

QSR traded up $1.76 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $78.96. 3,299,646 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,375,976. The company's fifty day moving average price is $75.35 and its 200-day moving average price is $71.17. The stock has a market capitalization of $27.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.45, a P/E/G ratio of 2.29 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a quick ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.62. Restaurant Brands International has a 52-week low of $61.33 and a 52-week high of $81.96.

Restaurant Brands International (NYSE:QSR - Get Free Report) TSE: QSR last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The restaurant operator reported $0.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.83 by $0.03. Restaurant Brands International had a return on equity of 32.51% and a net margin of 8.23%.The business had revenue of $2.26 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.24 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.75 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 7.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Restaurant Brands International will post 4.05 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Restaurant Brands International

In other Restaurant Brands International news, insider Axel Schwan sold 34,939 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.51, for a total transaction of $2,358,731.89. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 194,984 shares in the company, valued at $13,163,369.84. This trade represents a 15.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, insider Jacqueline Friesner sold 30,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.61, for a total transaction of $2,238,300.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 165,727 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,364,891.47. This trade represents a 15.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 441,490 shares of company stock worth $32,375,140 over the last three months. 1.25% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Restaurant Brands International

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in QSR. AQR Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Restaurant Brands International in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $237,000. WINTON GROUP Ltd purchased a new position in Restaurant Brands International during the second quarter worth $265,000. State Street Corp increased its position in Restaurant Brands International by 9,477.4% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,997,344 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $198,711,000 after acquiring an additional 2,966,048 shares during the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. boosted its stake in shares of Restaurant Brands International by 188.7% during the 2nd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 52,335 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $3,469,000 after purchasing an additional 34,210 shares during the period. Finally, Treasurer of the State of North Carolina bought a new position in Restaurant Brands International during the 2nd quarter valued at about $10,019,000. 82.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Restaurant Brands International

Here are the key news stories impacting Restaurant Brands International this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 earnings and sales beat, driven by Burger King: RBI reported $0.86 EPS (above estimates) and revenue of $2.26B; consolidated comparable sales and systemwide sales growth were positive with U.S. Burger King comps notably strong — a key driver behind investor optimism. Restaurant Brands International Inc. Reports First Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend and capital return: RBI declared a $0.65 quarterly dividend (ex‑div June 23) and said it resumed share repurchases with a $500M repurchase expectation for 2026 — supports yield income and buyback-led EPS support for investors.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst target increases: Multiple shops (Wells Fargo, Robert W. Baird, TD Cowen) nudged price targets higher (to the ~$79–$80 area) and kept neutral/equal‑weight stances — these raises add modest upside signals for the stock. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Positive press on Burger King turnaround: Coverage highlighting Burger King's market share gains and traffic improvements versus McDonald’s is reinforcing investor confidence in RBI’s largest brand growth trajectory. Burger King's Bold Move Against McDonald's Dominance
• Negative Sentiment: Popeyes softness and cost/margin concerns: Investors flagged a sharp decline in Popeyes comps and management commentary about marketing timing and cost items (and profitability in the company‑owned “Restaurant Holdings” segment), which prompted near‑term selling pressure and raised questions about margin trajectory. Restaurant Brands International (QSR) slides as investors weigh Popeyes weakness and cost outlook after Q1 report
• Negative Sentiment: Heavy insider selling noted: Recent data shows substantial insider share sales across multiple executives over the past six months, which some investors view as a governance/conviction concern and can weigh on sentiment. Restaurant Brands International (QSR) slides as investors weigh Popeyes weakness and cost outlook after Q1 report

About Restaurant Brands International

Restaurant Brands International Inc NYSE: QSR is a global quick-service restaurant company formed through the combination of established brands. The company's principal holdings include Burger King, Tim Hortons and Popeyes, each of which operates under its own brand identity and menu. Restaurant Brands International's business is centered on developing and expanding these franchised restaurant systems, supporting franchisees with brand management, supply chain coordination, and marketing programs.

RBI's restaurants offer a range of quick-service food and beverage products: Burger King is known for its flame-grilled hamburgers and sandwiches, Tim Hortons for coffee, baked goods and breakfast items, and Popeyes for Louisiana-style fried chicken and seafood.

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