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

Restaurant Brands International Inc. (NYSE:QSR) (TSE:QSR) was the target of a significant drop in short interest in December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 6,850,000 shares, a drop of 17.1% from the November 30th total of 8,260,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,560,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4.4 days. Currently, 2.2% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Jill Granat sold 81,387 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the insider now owns 388,759 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $26,968,211.83. This represents a 17.31 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.36% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Restaurant Brands International

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of QSR. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Restaurant Brands International by 79.4% in the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 418 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 185 shares during the period. Plato Investment Management Ltd acquired a new position in Restaurant Brands International during the 3rd quarter worth $61,000. Blue Trust Inc. grew its stake in shares of Restaurant Brands International by 123.9% in the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,388 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $98,000 after purchasing an additional 768 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in shares of Restaurant Brands International by 67.0% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,754 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $126,000 after purchasing an additional 704 shares during the period. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its holdings in Restaurant Brands International by 17.8% in the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,754 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $126,000 after purchasing an additional 265 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.29% of the company’s stock.

Restaurant Brands International Stock Performance

QSR traded down $0.30 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $65.54. 559,304 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,608,200. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.75, a current ratio of 1.02 and a quick ratio of 0.94. Restaurant Brands International has a 12 month low of $64.69 and a 12 month high of $83.29. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $69.00 and a 200-day simple moving average of $69.82. The stock has a market cap of $21.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 0.93.

Restaurant Brands International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 20th will be given a $0.58 dividend. This represents a $2.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.54%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 20th. Restaurant Brands International’s dividend payout ratio is presently 58.15%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have weighed in on QSR. TD Cowen reduced their price target on Restaurant Brands International from $82.00 to $80.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 6th. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on Restaurant Brands International from $95.00 to $90.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 6th. Evercore ISI dropped their price objective on shares of Restaurant Brands International from $93.00 to $90.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 6th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on shares of Restaurant Brands International from $77.00 to $72.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, November 14th. Finally, Oppenheimer cut their price target on shares of Restaurant Brands International from $89.00 to $86.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and sixteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $82.27.

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.