Restaurant Brands International stock faces an analyst downgrade

Published on 10/05/2026 at 11:10 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

Restaurant Brands International stock faces an Argus downgrade from Buy to Hold dated September 25, 2026. Q2 adjusted EPS beat consensus at USD 1.07.

QSR, CA76131D1033, Illustration mit AI erstellt.

Restaurant Brands International (ISIN CA76131D1033) was last at USD 69.91 on the NYSE on October 2, 2026, up 0.22 percent from the prior session. The central issue for QSR is a September 25 rating cut from Argus, which moved the stock from Buy to Hold as portfolio growth came under pressure.

Argus flags uneven brand growth

According to Investing.com on September 25, 2026, Argus cited higher commodity prices, weak comparable sales at Popeyes and slower sales at Tim Hortons. The analyst also lowered earnings estimates, while noting that Burger King showed signs of improvement under CEO Patrick Doyle.

The warning contrasts with QSR's latest reported quarter. In Q2 2026, adjusted EPS was USD 1.07 versus a USD 1.04 consensus estimate, a USD 0.03 beat, while revenue reached USD 2.52 billion, according to Investing.com. Comparable sales increased 3.8 percent during the quarter.

Consensus stays above the market

MarketScreener lists an Outperform consensus from 28 analysts and an average price target of USD 86.04, based on its September 21, 2026 market page. At QSR's USD 69.91 reference price, that target lies 23.1 percent above the price, leaving the analyst view more optimistic than Argus's downgrade.

Guggenheim also raised its target to USD 86 from USD 85 and kept a Buy rating on September 18, 2026, according to Investing.com. The firm lifted its 2027 adjusted EPS estimate to USD 4.35 from USD 4.30 and expected stronger third-quarter trends at Burger King and Tim Hortons.

October results set the next checkpoint

Restaurant Brands International will release Q3 2026 results on October 29, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. ET, according to the company's Restaurant Brands International release dated September 15, 2026. That report will test whether Burger King's gains can offset weakness in Popeyes and slower Tim Hortons momentum.

QSR stock stays below its yearly high

QSR's USD 69.91 last price on October 2, 2026, was USD 12.05 below its 52-week high of USD 81.96 and USD 5.39 above its 52-week low of USD 64.52. The company had a market capitalization of USD 24.3 billion and volume of 2,711,916 shares on that date.