Earnest Partners LLC Sells 15,490 Shares of Restaurant Brands International Inc. (NYSE:QSR)

Earnest Partners LLC cut its stake in shares of Restaurant Brands International Inc. (NYSE:QSR - Free Report) TSE: QSR by 15.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 83,361 shares of the restaurant operator's stock after selling 15,490 shares during the quarter. Earnest Partners LLC's holdings in Restaurant Brands International were worth $5,433,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Venturi Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Restaurant Brands International by 213.6% during the 4th quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 461 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 314 shares during the last quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in Restaurant Brands International during the fourth quarter valued at about $32,000. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its stake in Restaurant Brands International by 183.9% during the fourth quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 636 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 412 shares during the last quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Restaurant Brands International in the 4th quarter worth about $60,000. Finally, Capital Analysts LLC increased its position in shares of Restaurant Brands International by 24.3% during the 4th quarter. Capital Analysts LLC now owns 952 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $62,000 after purchasing an additional 186 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.29% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Duncan Fulton sold 15,974 shares of Restaurant Brands International stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.48, for a total transaction of $998,055.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 45,248 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,827,095.04. This trade represents a 26.09 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Sami A. Siddiqui sold 12,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $68.12, for a total transaction of $851,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 235,228 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,023,731.36. This trade represents a 5.05 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 278,716 shares of company stock worth $17,740,281. Corporate insiders own 1.36% of the company's stock.

Restaurant Brands International Trading Up 2.2 %

Shares of NYSE QSR traded up $1.42 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $66.67. 2,355,816 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,841,825. Restaurant Brands International Inc. has a 12-month low of $58.71 and a 12-month high of $76.49. The firm has a market cap of $21.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.97, a P/E/G ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 0.72. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $64.98 and a 200 day moving average price of $65.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.75, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.02.

Restaurant Brands International (NYSE:QSR - Get Free Report) TSE: QSR last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The restaurant operator reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.10 by ($0.29). Restaurant Brands International had a return on equity of 28.53% and a net margin of 12.15%. As a group, analysts expect that Restaurant Brands International Inc. will post 3.72 earnings per share for the current year.

Restaurant Brands International Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 21st were issued a dividend of $0.62 per share. This represents a $2.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.72%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 21st. This is a boost from Restaurant Brands International's previous quarterly dividend of $0.58. Restaurant Brands International's payout ratio is 77.99%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

QSR has been the subject of several research reports. CIBC cut their target price on Restaurant Brands International from $86.00 to $78.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of Restaurant Brands International from $81.00 to $73.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Restaurant Brands International from $83.00 to $80.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on shares of Restaurant Brands International from $72.00 to $65.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 7th. Finally, TD Cowen cut Restaurant Brands International from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $70.00 price objective on the stock. in a research note on Friday, February 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $75.27.

About Restaurant Brands International

Restaurant Brands International Inc operates as a quick-service restaurant company in Canada, the United States, and internationally. It operates through four segments: Tim Hortons (TH), Burger King (BK), Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen (PLK), and Firehouse Subs (FHS). The company owns and franchises TH chain of donut/coffee/tea restaurants that offer blend coffee, tea, and espresso-based hot and cold specialty drinks; and fresh baked goods, including donuts, Timbits, bagels, muffins, cookies and pastries, grilled paninis, classic sandwiches, wraps, soups, and other food products.