Restaurant Brands International Inc. (NYSE:QSR) reported second-quarter results ahead of Wall Street earnings expectations on Thursday, with strong performance from Burger King helping to accelerate comparable sales growth despite mixed results across its other brands.
Adjusted earnings came in at $1.07 per share, beating analysts’ consensus estimate of $1.04. Revenue totaled $2.52 billion, in line with market expectations.
Shares edged 0.3% lower following the earnings release.
Burger King fuels stronger sales momentum
Comparable sales increased 3.8% during the quarter, improving from 2.4% in the same period last year.
Burger King was the standout performer, with comparable sales in the U.S. rising 8.5%, while the International business delivered growth of 5.5%.
Systemwide sales increased 6.4% year over year, supported by a 10.7% rise across international markets. Total revenue climbed 4.6% to $2.52 billion from $2.41 billion a year earlier.
Chief Executive Officer Josh Kobza said, “We built on our strong start to 2026 with another quarter of over 3% global comparable sales and double-digit earnings growth, led by Burger King’s standout performance and continued strength at International.”
Operating profit improves
Adjusted operating income increased to $715 million from $668 million in the prior-year quarter, representing organic growth of 6.7%.
Burger King’s adjusted operating income rose to $137 million from $121 million, while the International division generated adjusted operating income of $194 million, compared with $172 million a year earlier.
Performance across the group’s other brands was more mixed. Tim Hortons recorded comparable sales growth of 0.1%, while Popeyes reported a 5.1% decline in comparable sales.
Restaurant Brands ended the quarter with 33,156 restaurants worldwide, an increase of 2.9% from the previous year.
Company maintains full-year outlook
Restaurant Brands International declared a third-quarter dividend of $0.65 per share, payable on October 2, 2026.
Management left its financial guidance for 2026 unchanged, continuing to expect segment general and administrative expenses of between $600 million and $620 million, alongside total capital expenditure of approximately $400 million.
The company also reaffirmed its long-term objective of delivering 8% organic adjusted operating income growth through 2028.