Zacks Research Has Positive Estimate for QSR Q1 Earnings

Restaurant Brands International Inc. (NYSE:QSR) (TSE:QSR) – Stock analysts at Zacks Research boosted their Q1 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Restaurant Brands International in a research report issued on Thursday, February 26th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the restaurant operator will post earnings per share of $0.82 for the quarter, up from their prior estimate of $0.79. The consensus estimate for Restaurant Brands International’s current full-year earnings is $3.72 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Restaurant Brands International’s Q2 2026 earnings at $1.04 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $1.05 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $3.97 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.91 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $1.20 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $1.05 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $1.09 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $4.25 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $4.58 EPS.

Several other equities research analysts have also commented on QSR. Argus upgraded shares of Restaurant Brands International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $85.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Restaurant Brands International from $77.00 to $72.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Guggenheim boosted their price objective on shares of Restaurant Brands International from $79.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Restaurant Brands International from $86.00 to $82.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Scotiabank lowered their target price on Restaurant Brands International from $74.00 to $71.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $77.20.

Restaurant Brands International Stock Performance

QSR opened at $71.73 on Monday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $68.59 and its 200 day simple moving average is $67.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.62, a current ratio of 0.98 and a quick ratio of 0.91. The stock has a market cap of $24.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.39, a P/E/G ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 0.56. Restaurant Brands International has a 1-year low of $58.71 and a 1-year high of $73.70.

Restaurant Brands International (NYSE:QSR) (TSE:QSR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The restaurant operator reported $0.96 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.93 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $2.47 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.41 billion. Restaurant Brands International had a net margin of 8.23% and a return on equity of 32.51%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.81 EPS.

Restaurant Brands International Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 2nd. Investors of record on Thursday, March 19th will be issued a $0.65 dividend. This is a positive change from Restaurant Brands International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.62. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 19th. This represents a $2.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.6%. Restaurant Brands International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 105.08%.

Insider Activity at Restaurant Brands International

In related news, insider Axel Schwan sold 34,939 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.51, for a total value of $2,358,731.89. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 194,984 shares in the company, valued at $13,163,369.84. This trade represents a 15.20% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Jill Granat sold 11,525 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.51, for a total value of $778,052.75. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 476,126 shares in the company, valued at $32,143,266.26. This trade represents a 2.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 186,401 shares of company stock valued at $12,857,069. Company insiders own 1.25% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Restaurant Brands International

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in QSR. AQR Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Restaurant Brands International during the 1st quarter valued at $237,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Restaurant Brands International by 6.8% during the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 485,946 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $32,213,000 after acquiring an additional 30,741 shares in the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. grew its holdings in Restaurant Brands International by 3.7% during the second quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 29,470 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $1,954,000 after purchasing an additional 1,059 shares during the last quarter. Atria Investments Inc grew its stake in Restaurant Brands International by 12.1% in the 2nd quarter. Atria Investments Inc now owns 5,250 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $348,000 after buying an additional 565 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Amalgamated Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Restaurant Brands International in the second quarter valued at about $1,463,000. 82.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Restaurant Brands International

Here are the key news stories impacting Restaurant Brands International this week:

• Positive Sentiment: RBI reiterated its multi-year targets at its 2026 Investor Day — 8%+ organic adjusted operating income growth, 5%+ net restaurant growth by 2028, and plans to return >$1.6B to shareholders in 2026; this materially strengthens the cash-return and growth narrative. RBI Reaffirms Growth Algorithm and Capital Return Plan
• Positive Sentiment: Guggenheim raised its price target from $79 to $80 and maintained a “buy” rating — a vote of confidence that implies ~11.5% upside from the referenced price and likely helped buying interest. Guggenheim PT Raise to $80 (Tickerreport)
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo lifted its target from $70 to $75 and kept an “equal weight” rating — incremental upside and another analyst endorsement supporting the rally. Wells Fargo Raises PT to $75 (Benzinga)
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage piece on shifting narrative around RBI’s capital spending assumptions — may influence investor views on margins and free cash flow but is informational rather than a direct catalyst. How The Narrative On Restaurant Brands International Is Shifting (Yahoo)
• Neutral Sentiment: Other industry/company coverage and reviews appeared (general analysis pieces) that may affect attention/flow but are not direct catalysts. Reviewing Restaurant Brands International (AmericanBankingNews)
• Negative Sentiment: Insider sale reported — Sami Siddiqui sold 12,828 shares; insider selling can be perceived negatively even if not large enough to change fundamentals. Insider Sale by Sami Siddiqui (AmericanBankingNews)
• Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan published a pessimistic near-term forecast for QSR’s stock price — a counterpoint that could temper upside for more risk-averse investors. JPMorgan Pessimistic Forecast (AmericanBankingNews)

Restaurant Brands International Company Profile

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.