QSR:NYSERestaurant Brands International Inc. Analysis

Restaurant Brands International (QSR) is trading at $80.9, comfortably above its 20‑day ($77.24), 50‑day ($73.77) and 200‑day ($69.10) simple moving averages, indicating a strong bullish trend. Technical momentum is reinforced by a bullish MACD histogram (+0.20) and a high RSI of 69, though the index is edging toward overbought territory. Volatility over the past 30 days is moderate at 21.7% and the beta of 0.37 suggests the stock is less responsive to market swings. The dividend yield of 3.21% is attractive, but a payout ratio of 94% raises concerns about sustainability despite solid free cash flow generation. Fundamentally, revenue is growing at 7.4% YoY with healthy gross (33.8%) and operating margins (26.4%), yet the company carries a massive debt load (DE/Equity >300%) that pressures balance‑sheet flexibility. Valuation metrics are stretched: the trailing PE of 30.8 and forward PE of 18.4 contrast sharply with a DCF‑derived fair value of $32.05, implying the market is pricing in significant growth expectations. Analyst consensus remains “Buy” with a mean target of $82.93, but the price is already near the 52‑week high of $81.67, limiting upside. Upcoming Q1 2026 earnings on May 6 will be a key catalyst to confirm whether the bullish technical setup can be justified by earnings momentum.
Overall, QSR offers a blend of growth and income attributes, but the combination of high valuation, elevated leverage, and a near‑overbought technical profile suggests caution for longer horizons while short‑term momentum remains intact.