Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA Lowers Holdings in Restaurant Brands International Inc. (NYSE:QSR)

Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA cut its holdings in shares of Restaurant Brands International Inc. (NYSE:QSR) (TSE:QSR) by 3.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 597,347 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after selling 19,004 shares during the quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA’s holdings in Restaurant Brands International were worth $38,935,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its stake in shares of Restaurant Brands International by 17.8% in the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,754 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $126,000 after buying an additional 265 shares during the period. Benjamin Edwards Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Restaurant Brands International in the 3rd quarter valued at $361,000. Centiva Capital LP acquired a new position in shares of Restaurant Brands International during the third quarter worth $825,000. Hilltop Holdings Inc. increased its holdings in Restaurant Brands International by 12.2% in the third quarter. Hilltop Holdings Inc. now owns 4,527 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $326,000 after buying an additional 493 shares during the last quarter. Finally, HighTower Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Restaurant Brands International by 6.3% during the 3rd quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 9,040 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $658,000 after acquiring an additional 537 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.29% of the company’s stock.

Restaurant Brands International Stock Down 6.2 %

Restaurant Brands International stock opened at $63.61 on Friday. Restaurant Brands International Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $59.67 and a fifty-two week high of $77.24. The firm has a market capitalization of $20.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 0.72. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $65.42 and its two-hundred day moving average is $67.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.75, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.02.

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

Restaurant Brands International Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 21st were paid a dividend of $0.62 per share. This represents a $2.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.90%. This is a boost from Restaurant Brands International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.58. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 21st. Restaurant Brands International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 77.99%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently commented on QSR. TD Cowen downgraded shares of Restaurant Brands International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $70.00 target price on the stock. in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Loop Capital reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Restaurant Brands International in a research report on Tuesday, March 18th. Argus raised Restaurant Brands International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 19th. Guggenheim lifted their target price on Restaurant Brands International from $71.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Restaurant Brands International from $80.00 to $78.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $77.33.

Insider Activity at Restaurant Brands International

In related news, insider Duncan Fulton sold 27,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.66, for a total value of $1,778,150.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 34,822 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,251,590.52. The trade was a 44.13 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Sami A. Siddiqui sold 12,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $68.12, for a total transaction of $851,500.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 235,228 shares in the company, valued at $16,023,731.36. This represents a 5.05 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 300,226 shares of company stock valued at $19,121,223. 1.36% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.