Yum! Brands (NYSE:YUM – Get Free Report) had its price target decreased by research analysts at Guggenheim from $180.00 to $155.00 in a research report issued on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “buy” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Guggenheim’s target price points to a potential upside of 11.34% from the company’s current price.
YUM has been the topic of several other reports. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Yum! Brands in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Yum! Brands from $175.00 to $178.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Sunday, July 12th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Yum! Brands from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Zacks Research upgraded Yum! Brands from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “hold” rating and issued a $174.00 price target on shares of Yum! Brands in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $172.72.
View Our Latest Research Report on Yum! Brands
Yum! Brands Stock Performance
Yum! Brands (NYSE:YUM – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The restaurant operator reported $1.62 earnings per share 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 company had revenue of $2.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.18 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.44 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts expect that Yum! Brands will post 6.46 earnings per share for the current year.
Yum! Brands declared that its board has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, June 16th that permits the company to repurchase $4.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the restaurant operator to purchase up to 9.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are often a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.
Insider Activity
In other news, CEO Christopher Lee Turner sold 261 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $153.15, for a total transaction of $39,972.15. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 63,771 shares in the company, valued at $9,766,528.65. This trade represents a 0.41% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, VP David Russell sold 7,961 shares of Yum! Brands stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $153.15, for a total transaction of $1,219,227.15. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 11,960 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,831,674. The trade was a 39.96% 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. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 12,493 shares of company stock worth $1,926,462. Corporate insiders own 0.14% of the company’s stock.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Yum! Brands
Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of YUM. Steph & Co. lifted its position in Yum! Brands by 107.5% in the first quarter. Steph & Co. now owns 166 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 86 shares during the last quarter. Edmond DE Rothschild Holding S.A. acquired a new stake in shares of Yum! Brands during the second quarter valued at about $27,000. MV Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Yum! Brands in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Yum! Brands in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Kelleher Financial Advisors acquired a new position in shares of Yum! Brands in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.37% of the company’s stock.
About Yum! Brands
Yum! Brands, Inc is a global restaurant company that develops, operates, and franchises quick-service restaurants. Its portfolio includes KFC, which specializes in fried and cooked chicken; Taco Bell, known for Mexican-inspired food; Pizza Hut, which offers pizza and related products; and The Habit Burger Grill, a fast-casual chain focused on chargrilled burgers, sandwiches, salads, and shakes.
The company primarily uses a franchised business model, working with franchisees and licensees to operate restaurants in more than 150 countries and territories.
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