Net earnings fell slightly to US$357-million in the third quarter while revenue grew to US$2.29-billion, but both fell short of consensus

A "difficult" economic environment took a bite out of Restaurant Brands International Inc.'s profit in its most recent quarter as sales fell across three of the company's brands, but executives say they've already seen signs of improvement in October.

Steady demand for cold drinks, donuts and breakfast bundles at Tim Hortons drove quarterly same-store sales growth of 2.3 per cent at the coffee chain, but Burger King declined 0.7 per cent, compared with a 6.6 per cent rise last year. The company reported net income of US$357 million, down from US$365 million in the prior-year period.

Restaurant Brands missed estimates for quarterly revenue on Tuesday due to weak demand across key businesses such as Tim Hortons, Burger King and international markets including China and the Middle East.

Net sales climbed 24.7%, largely thanks to the company’s acquisitions of its largest U.S. Burger King franchisee and its Popeyes business in China.

Shares of Burger King parent Restaurant Brands International Inc ($QSR) fell nearly 4% in Tuesday’s pre-market session after the company’s third-quarter results missed Wall Street estimates. Revenue jumped 25% year-over-year (YoY) to $2.