Restaurant Brands International Inc. (NYSE:QSR) Short Interest Update

Restaurant Brands International Inc. (NYSE:QSR) (TSE:QSR) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest in the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 10,540,000 shares, a growth of 23.3% from the February 28th total of 8,550,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 2,080,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 5.1 days. Approximately 3.3% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Restaurant Brands International Trading Up 0.8 %

Shares of NYSE QSR traded up $0.55 on Tuesday, reaching $67.19. 985,309 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,777,142. The company has a 50 day moving average of $65.13 and a 200 day moving average of $67.18. The company has a current ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.75. Restaurant Brands International has a fifty-two week low of $59.67 and a fifty-two week high of $78.40. The stock has a market capitalization of $21.99 billion, a PE ratio of 21.13, a P/E/G ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 0.95.

Restaurant Brands International (NYSE:QSR) (TSE:QSR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The restaurant operator reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.10 by ($0.29). Restaurant Brands International had a return on equity of 28.53% and a net margin of 12.15%. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Restaurant Brands International will post 3.72 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Restaurant Brands International Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 4th. Investors of record on Friday, March 21st will be issued a $0.62 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 21st. This represents a $2.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.69%. This is a boost from Restaurant Brands International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.58. Restaurant Brands International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 77.99%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently weighed in on QSR. Oppenheimer lowered their price target on Restaurant Brands International from $86.00 to $77.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. TD Cowen lowered Restaurant Brands International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $70.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Friday, February 14th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on Restaurant Brands International from $72.00 to $69.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price objective on shares of Restaurant Brands International from $73.00 to $67.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Barclays cut their target price on shares of Restaurant Brands International from $83.00 to $80.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $77.08.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Thiago T. Santelmo sold 3,511 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.20, for a total transaction of $225,406.20. Following the sale, the insider now owns 32,937 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,114,555.40. The trade was a 9.63 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Joshua Kobza sold 12,420 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.20, for a total transaction of $797,364.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 703,445 shares in the company, valued at $45,161,169. The trade was a 1.73 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 300,226 shares of company stock valued at $19,121,223 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 1.36% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Restaurant Brands International

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in QSR. Dunhill Financial LLC grew its holdings in shares of Restaurant Brands International by 100.0% during the 4th quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 400 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the period. 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 valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 314 shares in the last quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Restaurant Brands International during the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. IFP Advisors Inc boosted its position in Restaurant Brands International by 183.9% during the 4th 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 period. Finally, Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Restaurant Brands International in the 4th quarter valued at $60,000. 82.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.