Restaurant Brands International (NYSE:QSR) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume – What’s Next?

Shares of Restaurant Brands International Inc. (NYSE:QSR) (TSE:QSR) saw strong trading volume on Thursday . 6,127,684 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 186% from the previous session’s volume of 2,144,032 shares.The stock last traded at $61.27 and had previously closed at $60.54.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have commented on QSR. CIBC reduced their target price on Restaurant Brands International from $88.00 to $86.00 and set an “outperformer” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. Oppenheimer decreased their target price on Restaurant Brands International from $86.00 to $77.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped 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. Bank of America lifted their target price on shares of Restaurant Brands International from $76.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada cut their price objective on Restaurant Brands International from $95.00 to $90.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and fifteen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Restaurant Brands International presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $81.08.

Restaurant Brands International Stock Up 1.6 %

The firm has a market capitalization of $19.96 billion, a PE ratio of 15.42, a P/E/G ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.75, a current ratio of 1.02 and a quick ratio of 0.94. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $66.30 and a 200 day moving average price of $68.94.

Restaurant Brands International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, December 20th were issued a $0.58 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 20th. This represents a $2.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.77%. Restaurant Brands International’s dividend payout ratio is presently 58.15%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Restaurant Brands International

In other news, insider Thiago T. Santelmo sold 3,511 shares of Restaurant Brands International stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.20, for a total value of $225,406.20. Following the sale, the insider now directly 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Sami A. Siddiqui sold 5,579 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.20, for a total value of $358,171.80. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 27,266 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,750,477.20. The trade was a 16.99 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 113,510 shares of company stock valued at $7,774,020 in the last three months. 1.36% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. First Horizon Advisors Inc. increased its stake in Restaurant Brands International by 3.8% during the third quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 4,318 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $311,000 after acquiring an additional 160 shares during the last quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. increased its position in shares of Restaurant Brands International by 2.2% during the 3rd quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 8,412 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $607,000 after purchasing an additional 179 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its holdings 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 valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 185 shares during the period. Arvest Investments Inc. raised its holdings in Restaurant Brands International by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Arvest Investments Inc. now owns 18,450 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $1,331,000 after buying an additional 197 shares during the period. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in Restaurant Brands International by 4.9% in the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 4,507 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $325,000 after buying an additional 210 shares during the last quarter. 82.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.