Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund raised its position in shares of Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE:YUM – Free Report) by 404.5% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 55,378 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after purchasing an additional 44,402 shares during the period. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund’s holdings in Yum! Brands were worth $8,610,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of YUM. Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd lifted its position in shares of Yum! Brands by 7.6% during the 1st quarter. Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd now owns 29,539 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $4,593,000 after buying an additional 2,090 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC bought a new position in shares of Yum! Brands during the 1st quarter worth $684,000. GC Wealth Management RIA LLC purchased a new stake in Yum! Brands in the 1st quarter worth about $219,000. Compound Planning Inc. increased its holdings in Yum! Brands by 19.9% in the 1st quarter. Compound Planning Inc. now owns 4,934 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $767,000 after acquiring an additional 819 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Modern Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Yum! Brands by 14.6% in the 1st quarter. Modern Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,562 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $240,000 after acquiring an additional 199 shares during the period. 82.37% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
More Yum! Brands News
Here are the key news stories impacting Yum! Brands this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Taco Bell and KFC momentum supports expectations: UBS expects Yum! Brands to deliver solid second-quarter results, citing continued strength at Taco Bell, expansion at KFC and growth in digital sales. These trends could support revenue and same-store sales. Yum! Brands Set for Solid Q2 Results With Continued Taco Bell, KFC Momentum, UBS Says
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain constructive: Yum! Brands has received an average “Moderate Buy” rating from analysts, suggesting expectations for additional upside despite the stock trading below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages. Yum! Brands, Inc. Receives Average Rating of Moderate Buy from Analysts
- Neutral Sentiment: Investors are awaiting the Q2 numbers: Earnings previews highlight Wall Street forecasts for revenue, earnings and key operating metrics for the quarter ended June 2026. The report will determine whether Taco Bell’s momentum, KFC expansion and digital growth translated into results that exceed expectations. Countdown to Yum Q2 Earnings: Wall Street Forecasts for Key Metrics
- Negative Sentiment: Higher investments may pressure margins: Yum! Brands is increasing investments to support growth, which could weigh on second-quarter profitability even if sales remain solid. This creates a risk of a muted market reaction if earnings or guidance fall short of elevated expectations. Yum! Brands Gears Up to Report Q2 Earnings: Key Factors to Watch
Insider Buying and Selling at Yum! Brands
Analysts Set New Price Targets
Several equities research analysts have commented on YUM shares. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Yum! Brands from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Yum! Brands from $175.00 to $178.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Sunday, July 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $177.00 price target on shares of Yum! Brands in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and issued a $165.00 price objective on shares of Yum! Brands in a report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Yum! Brands in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $174.81.
Get Our Latest Analysis on Yum! Brands
Yum! Brands Stock Up 1.7%
Shares of NYSE YUM opened at $150.34 on Wednesday. Yum! Brands, Inc. has a 52 week low of $137.33 and a 52 week high of $170.14. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $153.94 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $156.73. The company has a market cap of $41.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.25, a P/E/G ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 0.56.
Yum! Brands (NYSE:YUM – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The restaurant operator reported $1.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.39 by $0.11. Yum! Brands had a negative return on equity of 23.51% and a net margin of 20.48%.The business had revenue of $2.06 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.04 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.30 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 15.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Yum! Brands, Inc. will post 6.74 EPS for the current year.
Yum! Brands declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase program on Tuesday, June 16th that allows the company to repurchase $4.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the restaurant operator to purchase up to 9.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are generally a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.
Yum! Brands Announces Dividend
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 12th. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 27th were issued a dividend of $0.75 per share. This represents a $3.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, May 27th. Yum! Brands’s dividend payout ratio is 48.39%.
Yum! Brands Company 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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