QSR: Share Repurchase Expansion Will Drive Continued Upside Amid Market Uncertainty

Key Takeaways

• Franchise-led international expansion, digital investments, and operational improvements are creating capital-light growth, higher earnings visibility, and enhanced profitability across all brands.
  
• Menu innovation, brand revitalization, and growing middle-class demand are driving sustained increases in sales, margins, and global customer reach.
  
• Persistent cost inflation, international expansion challenges, competitive pressures, and evolving consumer and regulatory trends threaten margins, sales growth, and long-term profitability if not addressed.

Catalysts

Operates as a quick-service restaurant company in Canada, the United States, and internationally.

• Rapid international expansion, particularly through the franchise-led model in markets such as China, India, Turkey, Japan, and Brazil, is driving double-digit unit and system-wide sales growth; this directly supports recurring, capital-light revenue streams and higher long-term earnings visibility.
  
• Acceleration in menu innovation (notably at Tim Hortons, Burger King, and across international markets) and the revitalization of core brands (e.g., new product platforms, premium and value menu balance, high-profile partnerships, ongoing Burger King "Reclaim the Flame" initiatives) have led to consistent increases in same-store sales and customer traffic; these are likely to fuel continued top-line growth and margin expansion.
  
• Sustained investment in digital capabilities-including rollout of new AI-driven operational technologies, digital ordering platforms, loyalty apps, and personalized marketing-positions RBI to enhance order volume, streamline store operations, and boost per-store sales and EBITDA margins over time.
  
• Population growth, urbanization, and rising middle-class consumer bases in emerging markets are expanding RBI's addressable customer base and supporting the return to net restaurant growth (notably at Tim Hortons in Canada and new Firehouse and Popeyes units in fast-growing geographies), structurally underpinning future revenue and profit growth.
  
• Proven operational improvements-such as accelerated store remodels delivering mid-teen sales uplifts, efficiency upgrades (Sizzle image, modern kitchen initiatives), and franchisee alignment/incentivization (earlier-than-planned refranchising)-are driving improved franchisee profitability, higher net margins, and are expected to lift consolidated earnings and cash flow as execution scales system-wide.

Restaurant Brands International Future Earnings and Revenue Growth

Assumptions

• Analysts are assuming Restaurant Brands International's revenue will grow by 3.5% annually over the next 3 years.
• Analysts assume that profit margins will increase from 9.5% today to 19.4% in 3 years time.
• Analysts expect earnings to reach $2.0 billion (and earnings per share of $4.51) by about September 2028, up from $862.0 million today. The analysts are largely in agreement about this estimate.
• In order for the above numbers to justify the analysts price target, the company would need to trade at a PE ratio of 24.6x on those 2028 earnings, up from 23.5x today. This future PE is greater than the current PE for the US Hospitality industry at 23.9x.
• Analysts expect the number of shares outstanding to grow by 1.26% per year for the next 3 years.
• To value all of this in today's terms, we will use a discount rate of 10.02%, as per the Simply Wall St company report.

Restaurant Brands International Future Earnings Per Share Growth

Risks

• Elevated commodity costs, particularly persistent beef price inflation and cyclical volatility in key inputs (e.g., coffee), are putting pressure on restaurant-level margins, and if such trends persist or intensify, they could compress net margins and earnings.
  
• International expansion plans could be hindered by challenges such as bad debt expense spikes (noted in key international markets), ongoing restructuring in China (including uncertainty around finding a new controlling partner for Burger King China), and underperformance in specific markets like France, risking slower unit growth and volatility in international revenue and AOI.
  
• Heightened competition and promotional intensity in both the U.S. and global QSR market-including aggressive value menus from major competitors and shifts in consumer demand-may erode same-store sales growth and put downward pressure on revenues and operating margins, especially if RBI is forced to deepen discounts or invest more in marketing to maintain share.
  
• Modernization and refranchising initiatives, while showing early promise, require significant capital expenditures, pose execution risk, and may lead to higher support or remodeling costs if franchisee demand or financial health weakens, potentially impacting free cash flow and delaying expected earnings improvements.
  
• Secular shifts toward health consciousness, regulatory scrutiny of unhealthy foods, or new environmental/sustainability mandates could result in declining demand for core menu items, increase compliance costs, and necessitate further menu innovation, thereby threatening long-term sales growth and profitability if adaptation lags market expectations.

Valuation

• The analysts have a consensus price target of $76.321 for Restaurant Brands International based on their expectations of its future earnings growth, profit margins and other risk factors. However, there is a degree of disagreement amongst analysts, with the most bullish reporting a price target of $93.0, and the most bearish reporting a price target of just $60.0.
• In order for you to agree with the analyst's consensus, you'd need to believe that by 2028, revenues will be $10.1 billion, earnings will come to $2.0 billion, and it would be trading on a PE ratio of 24.6x, assuming you use a discount rate of 10.0%.
• Given the current share price of $61.86, the analyst price target of $76.32 is 18.9% higher.
• We always encourage you to reach your own conclusions though. So sense check these analyst numbers against your own assumptions and expectations based on your understanding of the business and what you believe is probable.