Christopher Lee Turner Sells 261 Shares of Yum! Brands (NYSE:YUM) Stock

Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE:YUM) CEO Christopher Lee Turner sold 261 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $153.15, for a total transaction of $39,972.15. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 63,771 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,766,528.65. The trade was a 0.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Christopher Lee Turner also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Wednesday, July 1st, Christopher Lee Turner sold 250 shares of Yum! Brands stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.42, for a total transaction of $40,105.00.
• On Monday, June 1st, Christopher Lee Turner sold 270 shares of Yum! Brands stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.14, for a total transaction of $39,997.80.

Yum! Brands Price Performance

Shares of YUM stock opened at $147.78 on Wednesday. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $153.67 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $156.59. Yum! Brands, Inc. has a one year low of $137.33 and a one year high of $170.14. The company has a market capitalization of $40.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.59, a P/E/G ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 0.55.

Yum! Brands (NYSE:YUM) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The restaurant operator reported $1.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.58 by $0.04. Yum! Brands had a negative return on equity of 24.57% and a net margin of 25.42%.The firm had revenue of $2.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.18 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.44 earnings per share. Yum! Brands’s quarterly revenue was up 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts expect that Yum! Brands, Inc. will post 6.6 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Yum! Brands announced that its board has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, June 16th that permits the company to repurchase $4.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the restaurant operator to repurchase up to 9.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Yum! Brands Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 12th. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 27th were issued a $0.75 dividend. This represents a $3.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, May 27th. Yum! Brands’s payout ratio is presently 37.74%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Yum! Brands

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Harrell Investment Partners LLC raised its holdings in Yum! Brands by 1.5% in the second quarter. Harrell Investment Partners LLC now owns 4,235 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $677,000 after purchasing an additional 62 shares in the last quarter. Econ Financial Services Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Yum! Brands by 0.4% in the 1st quarter. Econ Financial Services Corp now owns 15,536 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $2,416,000 after buying an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Magnolia Capital Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Yum! Brands by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. Magnolia Capital Advisors LLC now owns 3,292 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $498,000 after buying an additional 63 shares during the last quarter. Essex Financial Services Inc. raised its stake in shares of Yum! Brands by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Essex Financial Services Inc. now owns 6,667 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $1,009,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hilltop Holdings Inc. raised its stake in shares of Yum! Brands by 2.8% during the 4th quarter. Hilltop Holdings Inc. now owns 2,525 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $382,000 after acquiring an additional 68 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.37% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Yum! Brands

Here are the key news stories impacting Yum! Brands this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Taco Bell reported strong digital-sales momentum tied to its loyalty program and plans to launch a redesigned app in the third quarter. Better engagement and ordering frequency could support a recovery in traffic and sales. Taco Bell credits its loyalty program for digital sales growth
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts highlighted YUM’s nearly $9 billion digital ecosystem across ordering, loyalty and restaurant operations. The platform offers long-term growth potential, although investors remain cautious about execution risk. YUM’s digital growth engine
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan lowered its price target from $170 to $160 but maintained an “overweight” rating, implying substantial potential upside from the referenced trading level. The target cut nevertheless signals more measured expectations. JPMorgan rating and price target report
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary on a potential $2.7 billion Pizza Hut exit suggests that separating the brand could simplify YUM’s portfolio, reduce debt and direct resources toward KFC and Taco Bell. However, the reports describe a strategic scenario rather than confirming a completed transaction. YUM’s Pizza Hut exit analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: Executives disclosed modest stock sales conducted under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans, including sales by CEO Christopher Lee Turner and other company executives. The transactions are unlikely to represent a strong discretionary bearish signal. SEC insider transaction filing
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that Michigan health officials contacted Yum! about the Taco Bell cyclospora outbreak before a public alert have intensified concerns about customer traffic, sales damage and potential brand-reputation costs. Rising reported fatalities are adding to investor anxiety. Michigan cyclospora alert involving Taco Bell

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have commented on YUM. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Yum! Brands in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Yum! Brands in a research report on Tuesday, June 16th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $174.00 price objective on shares of Yum! Brands in a research note on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Yum! Brands from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Yum! Brands from $175.00 to $178.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Sunday, July 12th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Yum! Brands has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $174.31.

About Yum! Brands

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.