$QSR

Burger King (QSR +1.03%) reported 8.5% U.S. same-store sales growth in Q2 2026, outperforming McDonald's (MCD -0.22%) with 0.8%. Restaurant Brands, Burger King's parent, saw a 12% rise in earnings per share. McDonald's struggles with new rollouts affecting customer satisfaction and service speed, while Burger King focuses on store remodels and its Whopper sandwich. McDonald's NEXT initiative aims to improve menu, engagement, productivity, and hospitality.

KFC unveiled its Open House prototype in Dallas, featuring modern design and new menu items, as part of its U.S. comeback strategy. Starbucks announced the closure of 250 underperforming North American stores, continuing a trend from 2025. Burger King is developing a way for customers to switch from AI to human order takers in drive-thrus, following customer feedback.

Bank of America reports US restaurant spending grew 3.3% YoY in July 2026, with consumers dining out more. Restaurant inflation is slowing, while grocery inflation accelerated. Momofuku, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Popeyes have launched CPG products to extend their brands beyond restaurants.

McDonald's (MCD) Q2 U.S. comp sales rose 1%, while Burger King (QSR) surged 8.5%. QSR trades at 13x forward P/E, up 9% YTD, while MCD is down 17%. MCD's CEO admitted execution failures, with full U.S. recovery expected by 2027. Burger King's growth was driven by Whopper platform and remodeling efforts.

The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by 25 basis points, the first hike in three years, to combat inflation. Restaurant stocks are under pressure due to declining customer traffic. Companies like Restaurant Brands International (QSR) and Yum! Brands (YUM) may benefit from value menus. The Cheesecake Factory (CAKE) reported strong sales and profit margins. Investors should focus on companies that can maintain traffic and profitability amid rising rates.

Analysts made several rating changes: Wolfe upgraded Paychex (PAYX) citing stable employment trends. UBS upgraded Union Pacific (UNP) to Buy with a $339 price target, expecting strong 2027 volume growth. Needham upgraded Rocket Pharmaceuticals (RCKT) to Buy with a $9 target after FDA reaffirmed study design. JPMorgan upgraded Credicorp (BAP) to Overweight with a $482 target, seeing strong EPS growth. Morgan Stanley downgraded Expedia (EXPE) to Underweight with a $235 target, citing weaker assets

Restaurant Brands International (RBI) (TSX: QSR) (NYSE: QSR) announced a renewal of its normal course issuer bid (NCIB) to repurchase up to U.S.$1,000 million of its common shares through September 30, 2027. The company may purchase up to 34,404,688 shares, representing 10% of its public float, on the TSX, NYSE, or alternative trading systems. RBI repurchased 2,910,671 shares under its previous NCIB at an average price of U.S.$74.97 per share. The repurchases will be funded using RBI's cash reso

Schwan Axel (Pres., Tim Hortons US & Canada) sold 57,574 shares of Restaurant Brands International Inc. (QSR) at $81.14 ($4.67M total) on 2026-09-04.

Indian QSR sector shows strong recovery with median net profit growth of 74% in Q1FY27. United Foodbrands, Restaurant Brands Asia, and Sapphire Foods India report improved sales and profitability. United Foodbrands saw 28.7% same-store sales growth, while Restaurant Brands Asia's Burger King India achieved 12.6% growth. Sapphire Foods is recovering margins across its brands.

Citigroup maintained a Neutral rating on Restaurant Brands Intl (QSR) but raised its price target to $80.00 from $78.00. QSR is 2.6% undervalued according to GF Value™ at $79.92 vs. current price $77.81. The company has a GF Score™ of 89/100, with strong profitability and momentum but weaker financial strength. Insider activity shows significant selling.