Comerica Bank Sells 3,870 Shares of Yum! Brands, Inc. $YUM

Comerica Bank decreased its position in Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE:YUM) by 5.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 70,308 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after selling 3,870 shares during the quarter. Comerica Bank’s holdings in Yum! Brands were worth $10,636,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Yum! Brands by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 35,242,558 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $5,356,869,000 after acquiring an additional 684,946 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors grew its stake in shares of Yum! Brands by 3.1% in the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 16,179,636 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $2,459,940,000 after acquiring an additional 487,069 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp grew its stake in shares of Yum! Brands by 5.6% in the 3rd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 3,348,846 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $509,025,000 after acquiring an additional 176,221 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Yum! Brands by 5.5% in the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 2,943,187 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $447,364,000 after acquiring an additional 153,459 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sustainable Growth Advisers LP grew its stake in shares of Yum! Brands by 4.0% in the 3rd quarter. Sustainable Growth Advisers LP now owns 2,735,106 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $415,736,000 after acquiring an additional 104,336 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 82.37% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Yum! Brands

In other news, CEO Scott Mezvinsky sold 284 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $166.02, for a total value of $47,149.68. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Christopher Lee Turner sold 242 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $166.02, for a total transaction of $40,176.84. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 65,297 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,840,607.94. The trade was a 0.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 14,138 shares of company stock valued at $2,289,990. 0.14% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $180.00 target price on shares of Yum! Brands in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Gordon Haskett upgraded shares of Yum! Brands from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Wells Fargo & Company restated a “positive” rating on shares of Yum! Brands in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Evercore restated an “outperform” rating and set a $190.00 price target on shares of Yum! Brands in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Yum! Brands from $171.00 to $174.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Yum! Brands presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $173.95.

Yum! Brands Stock Up 0.7%

Shares of NYSE:YUM opened at $156.32 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $43.17 billion, a PE ratio of 28.17, a P/E/G ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 0.66. Yum! Brands, Inc. has a twelve month low of $137.33 and a twelve month high of $169.39. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $159.91 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $154.39.

Yum! Brands (NYSE:YUM) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The restaurant operator reported $1.73 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.76 by ($0.03). Yum! Brands had a negative return on equity of 22.42% and a net margin of 18.98%.The business had revenue of $2.52 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.45 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.61 EPS. Yum! Brands’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that Yum! Brands, Inc. will post 6.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Yum! Brands Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 20th were issued a $0.75 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 20th. This is a positive change from Yum! Brands’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.71. This represents a $3.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. Yum! Brands’s payout ratio is currently 54.05%.

Trending Headlines about Yum! Brands

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company-wide “cross-brand” value menus (Taco Bell, KFC, Habit) are being rolled out with shared pricing/playbooks — investors see this as a traffic-driving, low-cost lever that can lift sales and tighten valuation upside. Yum Brands Cross Brand Value Menus Draw Investor Attention On Valuation
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlights YUM as a strong momentum stock based on style scores — a technical/quantitative endorsement that can attract momentum and quant flows into the shares. Here’s Why Yum Brands (YUM) is a Strong Momentum Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Competitive dynamics in pizza — reports that rivals (Papa John’s, Pizza Hut) may close more stores — could benefit Yum’s stronger banners (Taco Bell, KFC) and support market-share gains where Yum competes. Domino’s expects Papa Johns, Pizza Hut to close more stores
• Neutral Sentiment: YUM reports Q1 results tomorrow pre-market; previews expect rising EPS/revenue driven by Taco Bell and KFC strength, but the print and management commentary will likely drive intraday volatility. Yum! Brands (YUM) To Report Earnings Tomorrow: Here Is What To Expect Unveiling Yum (YUM) Q1 Outlook: Wall Street Estimates for Key Metrics
• Neutral Sentiment: Management collaboration across brands on value marketing is getting attention — this operational alignment can improve unit-level execution but its impact will be judged by same-store sales and margin data in the quarter. How Yum Brands’ chains come together on value marketing
• Negative Sentiment: Pizza Hut cost pressures, store closures and restructuring continue to be a drag in some previews — if management signals persistent weakness or downgrades guidance, the stock could reverse quickly despite strength in other banners. YUM to Post Q1 Earnings: What’s in the Cards for the Stock?

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.