National Bank of Canada FI Purchases 717,801 Shares of Restaurant Brands International Inc. (NYSE:QSR)

National Bank of Canada FI grew its position in shares of Restaurant Brands International Inc. (NYSE:QSR) (TSE:QSR) by 46.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,253,620 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after buying an additional 717,801 shares during the quarter. National Bank of Canada FI owned 0.72% of Restaurant Brands International worth $173,167,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of QSR. Mackenzie Financial Corp raised its position in Restaurant Brands International by 9.2% in the fourth quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 4,236,811 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $331,197,000 after acquiring an additional 357,394 shares during the period. CIBC Asset Management Inc raised its stake in shares of Restaurant Brands International by 5.6% in the third quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 4,345,692 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $290,287,000 after buying an additional 228,654 shares during the period. Fiera Capital Corp lifted its position in shares of Restaurant Brands International by 7.6% during the 3rd quarter. Fiera Capital Corp now owns 2,952,458 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $197,157,000 after buying an additional 207,609 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Restaurant Brands International by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 11,781,047 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $784,853,000 after acquiring an additional 203,594 shares during the period. Finally, Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund bought a new stake in Restaurant Brands International in the 3rd quarter valued at about $13,324,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.29% of the company’s stock.

Restaurant Brands International Trading Up 2.2 %

Restaurant Brands International stock traded up $1.62 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $75.83. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,447,447 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,649,227. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $76.57 and a 200-day moving average price of $74.51. Restaurant Brands International Inc. has a 12 month low of $61.77 and a 12 month high of $83.29. The stock has a market cap of $23.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.72, a current ratio of 1.08 and a quick ratio of 0.94.

Restaurant Brands International (NYSE:QSR) (TSE:QSR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 30th. The restaurant operator reported $0.73 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.72 by $0.01. Restaurant Brands International had a return on equity of 31.12% and a net margin of 17.17%. The business had revenue of $1.74 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.70 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.75 EPS. Restaurant Brands International’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts forecast that Restaurant Brands International Inc. will post 3.37 EPS for the current year.

Restaurant Brands International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 5th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 21st will be given a dividend of $0.58 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 21st. This represents a $2.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.06%. Restaurant Brands International’s payout ratio is currently 59.79%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently weighed in on QSR. Loop Capital lifted their target price on shares of Restaurant Brands International from $86.00 to $93.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. KeyCorp increased their target price on Restaurant Brands International from $82.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Scotiabank lifted their price target on Restaurant Brands International from $80.00 to $81.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, April 29th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on Restaurant Brands International from $85.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 14th. Finally, Stephens reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and set a $75.00 target price on shares of Restaurant Brands International in a report on Tuesday, February 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and eighteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Restaurant Brands International currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $83.56.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider David Chan Shear sold 17,556 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.26, for a total transaction of $1,338,820.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 210,535 shares in the company, valued at $16,055,399.10. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, insider Jill Granat sold 80,332 shares of Restaurant Brands International stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.20, for a total transaction of $6,121,298.40. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 410,759 shares in the company, valued at $31,299,835.80. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider David Chan Shear sold 17,556 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.26, for a total value of $1,338,820.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 210,535 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $16,055,399.10. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 380,200 shares of company stock valued at $28,828,182 in the last quarter. Insiders own 1.25% of the company’s stock.

Restaurant Brands International 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.