Restaurant Brands International (NYSE:QSR) Cut to “Hold” at Argus

Restaurant Brands International (NYSE:QSR) (TSE:QSR) was downgraded by Argus from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued on Thursday, Marketbeat reports.

QSR has been the subject of several other research reports. Guggenheim upgraded Restaurant Brands International from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $74.00 to $71.00 in a report on Friday, January 24th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Restaurant Brands International from $72.00 to $69.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of Restaurant Brands International from $83.00 to $80.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday. Evercore ISI reduced their target price on Restaurant Brands International from $93.00 to $90.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. Finally, KeyCorp dropped their target price on shares of Restaurant Brands International from $80.00 to $78.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and fifteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $79.00.

Restaurant Brands International Stock Performance

NYSE:QSR opened at $65.67 on Thursday. 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 has a fifty-two week low of $59.67 and a fifty-two week high of $83.29. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $64.40 and a 200-day moving average price of $68.08. The firm has a market cap of $21.31 billion, a PE ratio of 16.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 0.93.

Restaurant Brands International (NYSE:QSR) (TSE:QSR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th. The restaurant operator reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.10 by ($0.29). Restaurant Brands International had a net margin of 16.01% and a return on equity of 28.25%. Equities research analysts predict that Restaurant Brands International will post 3.3 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Jill Granat sold 81,387 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, December 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.37, for a total value of $5,645,816.19. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 388,759 shares in the company, valued at $26,968,211.83. This represents a 17.31 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Thiago T. Santelmo sold 3,511 shares of Restaurant Brands International stock in a transaction on Monday, January 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.20, for a total value of $225,406.20. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 32,937 shares in the company, valued at $2,114,555.40. This trade represents a 9.63 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 113,510 shares of company stock valued at $7,774,020 in the last quarter. 1.36% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Restaurant Brands International

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its stake in Restaurant Brands International by 79.4% during the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 418 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 185 shares during the period. Venturi Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Restaurant Brands International by 213.6% in the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 461 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 314 shares in the last quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Restaurant Brands International during the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. IFP Advisors Inc raised its position in shares of Restaurant Brands International by 183.9% during the 4th quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 636 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 412 shares during the period. Finally, Plato Investment Management Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Restaurant Brands International during the 3rd quarter valued at $61,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.29% of the company’s stock.

Restaurant Brands International Company Profile

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.