Tim Hortons gains a key backer

Article Excerpt

RESTAURANT BRANDS INTERNATIONAL INC. $77 is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol QSR; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 463.8 million; Market cap: $35.7 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 4.2; Dividend yield: 3.7%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.rbi.com) has 27,086 fast-food outlets in over 100 countries: 18,838 Burger King, 4,932 Tim Hortons (coffee and donuts), and 3,316 Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen (fried chicken). In 2018, Tim Hortons formed a joint venture with Cartesian Capital Group to open 1,500 restaurants in China over the next decade. Expanding in foreign markets adds risk, which is why a new deal with Tencent Holdings Ltd., China’s biggest social network and online games company, goes a long way to improving the prospects for this venture. Tencent will invest an unspecified amount in a partnership jointly owned by Restaurant Brands and Cartesian Capital. It will also help Tim Hortons boost its digital expertise in China. That’s key in a country where consumers are very comfortable with online ordering and delivery. Tim Hortons will accelerate its…