DJE Kapital AG lifted its position in shares of Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE:YUM – Free Report) by 15.2% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 34,200 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,500 shares during the quarter. DJE Kapital AG’s holdings in Yum! Brands were worth $5,290,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in Yum! Brands in the fourth quarter worth $706,799,000. Capital International Investors increased its holdings in Yum! Brands by 20.0% in the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 19,419,826 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $2,938,139,000 after buying an additional 3,240,190 shares during the period. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. bought a new stake in Yum! Brands in the 4th quarter valued at $272,794,000. Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Yum! Brands by 42.2% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,183,964 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $632,950,000 after buying an additional 1,240,777 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Boston Partners acquired a new position in shares of Yum! Brands in the 4th quarter valued at $168,604,000. 82.37% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Yum! Brands Price Performance
YUM opened at $147.35 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $40.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.88 and a beta of 0.56. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $154.32 and its 200-day simple moving average is $156.85. Yum! Brands, Inc. has a one year low of $137.33 and a one year high of $170.14.
Yum! Brands Announces Dividend
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 12th. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 27th were issued a $0.75 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, May 27th. This represents a $3.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.0%. Yum! Brands’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 48.39%.
Yum! Brands announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, June 16th that authorizes the company to repurchase $4.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the restaurant operator to purchase up to 9.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
YUM has been the topic of several recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Yum! Brands from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $177.00 price target on shares of Yum! Brands in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating and set a $180.00 price target on shares of Yum! Brands in a research note on Tuesday, June 16th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Yum! Brands from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Yum! Brands in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Yum! Brands currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $174.81.
Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on YUM
More Yum! Brands News
Here are the key news stories impacting Yum! Brands this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Yum! Brands said a positive cyclospora test on Taylor Farms lettuce was a false positive, which could help ease some fears that the outbreak source had been confirmed. Market Chatter: Yum! Brands Says Positive Cyclospora Test on Taylor Farms Lettuce was False Positive
- Positive Sentiment: Pizza Hut launched a throwback value menu with $3 Personal Pan Pizzas, which could support traffic and help offset some of the negative Taco Bell news. Pizza Hut Launches Throwback Value Menu With $3 Personal Pan Pizzas
- Neutral Sentiment: ThaiBev is considering selling its large KFC franchise business in Thailand, but this appears to be a third-party asset sale rather than a direct operating change for Yum! Brands. ThaiBev Weighs Sale of Thailand’s Largest KFC Franchise With 500+ Restaurants
- Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and traders are watching Yum! Brands’ chart closely as it approaches a possible “death cross,” a bearish technical signal that can add downward pressure on the stock. QUICK SPARK: Yum! Brands May Soon Serve Traders a Death Cross
- Negative Sentiment: Taco Bell visits fell sharply, with reports of traffic dropping nearly 19% after health authorities linked lettuce from a supplier to a parasite outbreak, raising concerns about near-term sales and brand damage. Taco Bell Traffic Sinks After Lettuce Tied to Parasite Outbreak
- Negative Sentiment: Yum shares were reported to be sliding as Taco Bell traffic dropped nearly 19%, reinforcing concerns that the outbreak is weighing on restaurant-sector sentiment and Yum!’s same-store sales outlook. Yum Shares Slide 10% as Taco Bell Traffic Drops Nearly 19%
Insider Transactions at Yum! Brands
In other Yum! Brands news, CEO Scott Mezvinsky sold 277 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.42, for a total transaction of $44,436.34. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 483 shares in the company, valued at approximately $77,482.86. The trade was a 36.45% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, COO Tracy L. Skeans sold 1,837 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $152.00, for a total value of $279,224.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 3,497 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $531,544. This represents a 34.44% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 12,423 shares of company stock valued at $1,953,721. 0.14% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
Yum! Brands Profile
Yum! Brands, Inc (NYSE: YUM) is a global quick-service restaurant company that develops, operates and franchises a portfolio of well-known restaurant brands. The company’s principal brands are KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, each focused on distinct product categories—KFC on fried chicken and related menu items, Pizza Hut on pizza and complementary offerings, and Taco Bell on Mexican-inspired quick-service food. Yum! is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky and was formed as Tricon Global Restaurants in 1997 when PepsiCo spun off its restaurant businesses, later adopting the Yum! Brands name.
The company’s operating model centers on brand development, system growth and franchising; a large portion of its restaurants are operated by independent franchisees, and Yum! generates revenue through franchise royalties and fees in addition to sales from company-operated locations.
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