Mufg Securities Canada LTD. Increases Position in Restaurant Brands International Inc. (NYSE:QSR)

Mufg Securities Canada LTD. boosted its position in Restaurant Brands International Inc. (NYSE:QSR) (TSE:QSR) by 75.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 494,313 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after acquiring an additional 213,035 shares during the period. Restaurant Brands International comprises approximately 1.2% of Mufg Securities Canada LTD.’s holdings, making the stock its 27th biggest holding. Mufg Securities Canada LTD. owned 0.15% of Restaurant Brands International worth $32,197,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of QSR. Venturi Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Restaurant Brands International by 213.6% in the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 461 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 314 shares during the period. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Restaurant Brands International during the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its holdings in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 412 shares during the period. Crewe Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Restaurant Brands International in the fourth quarter worth approximately $74,000. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB grew its holdings in Restaurant Brands International by 74.8% in the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 1,325 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $86,000 after purchasing an additional 567 shares during the period. 82.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Restaurant Brands International Price Performance

NYSE QSR opened at $66.59 on Wednesday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $64.49 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $67.23. The stock has a market cap of $21.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 0.95. 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 Inc. has a 52 week low of $59.67 and a 52 week high of $80.02.

Restaurant Brands International (NYSE:QSR) (TSE:QSR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The restaurant operator reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.10 by ($0.29). Restaurant Brands International had a return on equity of 28.53% and a net margin of 12.15%. Analysts forecast that Restaurant Brands International Inc. will post 3.72 EPS for the current year.

Restaurant Brands International Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 21st will be given a dividend of $0.62 per share. This represents a $2.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.72%. This is an increase from Restaurant Brands International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.58. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 21st. Restaurant Brands International’s payout ratio is 77.99%.

Insider Activity

In other Restaurant Brands International news, insider Thiago T. Santelmo sold 3,511 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, January 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.20, for a total transaction of $225,406.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 32,937 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,114,555.40. This trade represents a 9.63 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Duncan Fulton sold 15,974 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $62.48, for a total value of $998,055.52. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 45,248 shares in the company, valued at $2,827,095.04. This represents a 26.09 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 300,226 shares of company stock worth $19,121,223 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 1.36% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have weighed in on QSR. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Restaurant Brands International from $83.00 to $80.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on Restaurant Brands International from $73.00 to $67.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Restaurant Brands International from $80.00 to $78.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 20th. Loop Capital reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Restaurant Brands International in a report on Tuesday, March 18th. Finally, Argus upgraded shares of Restaurant Brands International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $77.08.

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.