Restaurant Brands International (NYSE:QSR) Issues Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.03 EPS

Restaurant Brands International (NYSE:QSR) (TSE:QSR) released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The restaurant operator reported $0.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.93 by $0.03, Briefing.com reports. Restaurant Brands International had a net margin of 9.95% and a return on equity of 32.43%. The firm had revenue of $2.47 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.41 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.81 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis.

Here are the key takeaways from Restaurant Brands International’s conference call:

• For 2025 RBI reported strong results with 8.3% organic adjusted operating income growth and 10.7% adjusted EPS growth, the third consecutive year of roughly 8% AOI growth.
• The international segment was a standout (Q4 comps +6.1%, system-wide sales ~+11% FY), and RBI closed a joint venture with CPE for Burger King China with a $350 million capital injection and a plan to roughly double the footprint to ~2,500 units by 2030.
• Burger King U.S. showed operational momentum—successful marketing (e.g., SpongeBob activation), retention of new guests, Modern Image up to 58%, and refranchising that started ahead of schedule, supporting long-term unit and margin improvement.
• Elevated commodity costs, notably >20% beef inflation in 2025, pressured Burger King franchisee profitability (avg. ~$185k vs ~$205k in 2024), a near-term headwind to unit economics and margins.
• Popeyes underperformed in 2025 (comparable sales down ~3.2% and franchisee EBITDA ≈ $235k), prompting a leadership reset and intensified field operations/coaching to restore restaurant-level execution.

Restaurant Brands International Stock Performance

NYSE:QSR traded down $3.81 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $66.89. 7,321,527 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,919,351. The stock has a market capitalization of $23.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.83, a P/E/G ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 0.58. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $69.25 and a 200-day simple moving average of $67.47. The company has a quick ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.65. Restaurant Brands International has a 52 week low of $58.71 and a 52 week high of $73.70.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

QSR has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Scotiabank lifted their target price on Restaurant Brands International from $73.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Morgan Stanley set a $77.00 price objective on Restaurant Brands International in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on Restaurant Brands International from $68.00 to $72.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Barclays increased their target price on Restaurant Brands International from $78.00 to $86.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Restaurant Brands International from $74.00 to $72.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Restaurant Brands International presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $76.95.

Insider Buying and Selling at Restaurant Brands International

In related news, insider Jacqueline Friesner sold 816 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.44, for a total transaction of $55,031.04. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 187,069 shares in the company, valued at $12,615,933.36. This trade represents a 0.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Peter Perdue sold 396 shares of Restaurant Brands International stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.44, for a total transaction of $26,706.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 36,997 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,495,077.68. This represents a 1.06% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 145,508 shares of company stock worth $10,233,040. 1.25% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Restaurant Brands International

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Capital Analysts LLC boosted its stake in Restaurant Brands International by 20.6% in the fourth quarter. Capital Analysts LLC now owns 924 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $63,000 after acquiring an additional 158 shares during the period. Advisory Services Network LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Restaurant Brands International during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $155,000. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Restaurant Brands International by 11.6% in the 3rd quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 3,393 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $218,000 after purchasing an additional 354 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Restaurant Brands International during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $237,000. Finally, WINTON GROUP Ltd acquired a new stake in Restaurant Brands International in the second quarter worth $265,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.29% of the company’s stock.

Restaurant Brands International News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings and revenue beat expectations, with EPS of $0.96 vs. $0.93 consensus and revenue of $2.47B topping estimates — evidence of continued revenue momentum. MarketBeat Earnings Recap
• Positive Sentiment: Same‑store sales growth of 3.1% in Q4 was led by a 6.1% gain in international Burger King locations, showing strong global demand and backing future franchise revenue. Reuters: Sales Beat
• Positive Sentiment: RBI returned roughly $1.1B to shareholders in 2025 and said it hit 2025 targets for organic adjusted operating income growth and net leverage — supportive for yield‑focused investors. PR Newswire: Company Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue was up ~7.4% year‑over‑year and consolidated system‑wide sales grew ~5.8% in Q4 — solid growth but already reflected in expectations. Zacks: Key Metrics
• Negative Sentiment: Reported profit (net income) fell in the quarter despite higher sales, suggesting margin pressure and cost/headwind issues that worry investors. WSJ: Profit Slide
• Negative Sentiment: Commentary that investors were “not impressed” — earnings beat but upside was modest and didn’t change growth story — likely drove the selloff as expectations for stronger margin or guidance improvements were unmet. 247WallSt: Investor Reaction
• Negative Sentiment: High leverage (debt/equity ~2.65) and a dip in net margin (reported ~9.95%) increase sensitivity to cost inflation and could amplify investor caution on valuation. MarketBeat: Financial Metrics

About Restaurant Brands International

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.