Yum! Brands (NYSE:YUM) CEO Christopher Lee Turner Sells 285 Shares of Company Stock

Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE:YUM) CEO Christopher Lee Turner sold 285 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $140.11, for a total value of $39,931.35. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 63,225 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,858,454.75. This trade represents a 0.45% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at 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 Monday, August 3rd, Christopher Lee Turner sold 261 shares of Yum! Brands stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $153.15, for a total value of $39,972.15.

Yum! Brands Price Performance

NYSE YUM traded up $0.50 on Wednesday, reaching $140.34. The company had a trading volume of 2,335,943 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,154,750. Yum! Brands, Inc. has a 1 year low of $134.26 and a 1 year high of $170.14. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $146.37 and a 200-day moving average of $152.17. The firm has a market capitalization of $38.30 billion, a PE ratio of 17.65, a P/E/G ratio of 2.19 and a beta of 0.55.

Yum! Brands (NYSE:YUM) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 net margin of 25.42% and a negative return on equity of 24.57%. 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 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Yum! Brands, Inc. will post 6.46 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Yum! Brands announced that its board has initiated a stock buyback program on Tuesday, June 16th that permits the company to buyback $4.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the restaurant operator to buy up to 9.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Yum! Brands Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 18th. Investors of record on Wednesday, September 9th were paid a dividend of $0.75 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, September 9th. This represents a $3.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. Yum! Brands’s payout ratio is 37.74%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Yum! Brands

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Boltwood Capital Management raised its position in Yum! Brands by 10.2% in the third quarter. Boltwood Capital Management now owns 1,619 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $221,000 after acquiring an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. boosted its position in shares of Yum! Brands by 25.3% during the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 23,572 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $3,768,000 after purchasing an additional 4,760 shares in the last quarter. Bullseye Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Yum! Brands in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $248,000. Tidal Investments LLC grew its stake in shares of Yum! Brands by 114.4% in the 2nd quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 53,189 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $8,503,000 after purchasing an additional 28,380 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Yum! Brands by 2.2% in the 2nd quarter. Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC now owns 8,008 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $1,280,000 after purchasing an additional 171 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 82.37% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on Yum! Brands from $165.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. TD Cowen cut their target price on Yum! Brands from $180.00 to $177.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Seaport Research Partners assumed coverage on Yum! Brands in a research note on Wednesday, September 16th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $162.00 price target for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $174.00 price target on shares of Yum! Brands in a report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Guggenheim dropped their price target on Yum! Brands from $180.00 to $155.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $172.56.

More Yum! Brands News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its Q4 2027 EPS estimate to $2.05 from $2.03, its FY2027 forecast to $6.92 from $6.90, and its FY2028 estimate to $7.71 from $7.70. The revisions indicate slightly improved expectations for Yum!’s long-term earnings, although Zacks maintained a “Hold” rating. Zacks Research Predicts Higher Earnings for Yum! Brands
• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen maintained a “Buy” rating and lowered its price target only modestly to $177 from $180, implying substantial potential upside from recent levels. TD Cowen adjusts Yum! Brands price target
• Positive Sentiment: KFC introduced a $3.49 Go Buckets snack meal designed for on-the-go customers. The low-priced offering could support traffic and provide a new avenue for sales, though its financial impact is likely limited initially. KFC launches Go Buckets snack meal
• Neutral Sentiment: A comparison of Yum! Brands and Domino’s highlights the trade-off between dividend growth and share-price stability. The discussion may influence income-focused investors but does not represent a company-specific operating update. YUM versus DPZ dividend comparison
• Negative Sentiment: Guggenheim cut its price target sharply to $155 from $180, while keeping a “Buy” rating. JPMorgan also reduced its target to $150. These cuts preserve a constructive view but signal that analysts see less near-term upside than previously expected. Guggenheim adjusts Yum! Brands price target JPMorgan cuts Yum! Brands price target

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.