RBI aims to expand in China

Article Excerpt

RESTAURANT BRANDS INTERNATIONAL INC. $70 is a buy for aggressive investors. The fast-food operator (New York symbol QSR, Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 447.0 million; Market cap: $31.3 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 4.5; Dividend yield: 3.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.rbi.com) 30,125 outlets in over 100 countries: 18,935 Burger King, 5,662 Tim Hortons (coffee and donuts), 4,269 Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen (fried chicken) and 1,259 Firehouse Subs. Restaurant Brands is now buying full control of Popeyes China. Following the transaction, Restaurant Brands will own and operate Popeyes China, which opened its first restaurant in August 2023 and has 14 restaurants in Shanghai today. The company is also making a co-investment with Cartesian Capital into the business of TH International Limited (“Tims China,” Nasdaq symbol THCH). This could increase its equity ownership in Tims China to 18%. The company’s total outlay will be as much as $45 million for the two transactions. These deals will make it easier to ramp up the pace of expansion in this…