Scotiabank Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Restaurant Brands International (NYSE:QSR) Stock

Key Points

• Scotiabank raised its target on Restaurant Brands International from $81 to $83 while keeping a "sector perform" rating, and the analyst consensus is a Moderate Buy with an average target of $83.08, implying modest upside.
• RBI beat Q1 expectations with $0.86 EPS (vs. $0.83) and $2.26B revenue (vs. $2.24B) and announced a $0.65 quarterly dividend plus a resumed $500M share‑repurchase program, bolstering shareholder returns.
• Offsetting positives, investors are flagging Popeyes sales softness and margin pressures, and heavy insider selling (441,490 shares worth about $32.4M last quarter, including CEO transactions) that could weigh on sentiment.

Restaurant Brands International (NYSE:QSR - Get Free Report) TSE: QSR had its target price upped by stock analysts at Scotiabank from $81.00 to $83.00 in a report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a "sector perform" rating on the restaurant operator's stock. Scotiabank's price objective suggests a potential upside of 5.12% from the company's previous close. Scotiabank also issued estimates for Restaurant Brands International's FY2026 earnings at $4.03 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $4.42 EPS.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Truist Financial increased their target price on Restaurant Brands International from $83.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Restaurant Brands International in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Restaurant Brands International from $85.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "buy" rating and issued a $86.00 price target on shares of Restaurant Brands International in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Restaurant Brands International from $77.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Restaurant Brands International has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $83.08.

Restaurant Brands International Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:QSR traded up $1.76 during trading on Thursday, hitting $78.96. 3,299,646 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,375,976. The company has a market capitalization of $27.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.29 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.62, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a current ratio of 0.98. Restaurant Brands International has a 1-year low of $61.33 and a 1-year high of $81.96. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $75.35 and its 200-day simple moving average is $71.17.

Restaurant Brands International (NYSE:QSR - Get Free Report) TSE: QSR last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The restaurant operator reported $0.86 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 firm had revenue of $2.26 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.24 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.75 earnings per share. Restaurant Brands International's quarterly revenue was up 7.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that Restaurant Brands International will post 4.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Jacqueline Friesner sold 30,000 shares of Restaurant Brands International stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.61, for a total value of $2,238,300.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 165,727 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $12,364,891.47. This trade represents a 15.33% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Joshua Kobza sold 200,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.05, for a total value of $15,010,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 960,769 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $72,105,713.45. The trade was a 17.23% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 441,490 shares of company stock valued at $32,375,140 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 1.25% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Restaurant Brands International

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. D.A. Davidson & CO. boosted its stake in Restaurant Brands International by 1.9% in the fourth quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 8,451 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $577,000 after acquiring an additional 154 shares during the last quarter. Capital Analysts LLC raised its position in shares of Restaurant Brands International by 20.6% during the 4th quarter. Capital Analysts LLC now owns 924 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $63,000 after acquiring an additional 158 shares during the last quarter. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Restaurant Brands International by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC now owns 8,029 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $548,000 after purchasing an additional 161 shares during the period. Private Advisor Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Restaurant Brands International by 4.1% in the 1st quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 4,354 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $322,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares during the period. Finally, Applied Finance Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Restaurant Brands International by 1.9% in the 4th quarter. Applied Finance Capital Management LLC now owns 9,440 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $644,000 after purchasing an additional 179 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.29% of the company's stock.

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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