NewEdge Wealth LLC Trims Stock Holdings in Yum! Brands, Inc. $YUM

NewEdge Wealth LLC lessened its position in shares of Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE:YUM) by 47.3% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 3,778 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after selling 3,386 shares during the quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC’s holdings in Yum! Brands were worth $587,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Steph & Co. increased its stake in shares of Yum! Brands by 107.5% in the first quarter. Steph & Co. now owns 166 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 86 shares during the period. Wiser Advisor Group LLC acquired a new position in Yum! Brands during the third quarter valued at $28,000. MV Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Yum! Brands in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Yum! Brands in the first quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Jessup Wealth Management Inc acquired a new stake in Yum! Brands during the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. 82.37% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Yum! Brands Stock Up 1.7%

YUM stock 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 firm has a market cap of $41.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.25, a PEG ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 0.56. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $153.94 and its 200-day simple moving average is $156.73.

Yum! Brands (NYSE:YUM) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The restaurant operator reported $1.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.39 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $2.06 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.04 billion. Yum! Brands had a negative return on equity of 23.51% and a net margin of 20.48%.Yum! Brands’s revenue for the quarter was up 15.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.30 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Yum! Brands, Inc. will post 6.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Yum! Brands announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback program 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 shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Yum! Brands Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 12th. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 27th were paid a $0.75 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, May 27th. This represents a $3.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. Yum! Brands’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 48.39%.

Insider Activity at Yum! Brands

In related news, CEO Sean Tresvant sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $154.68, for a total value of $464,040.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 3,140 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $485,695.20. This trade represents a 48.86% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Scott Mezvinsky sold 277 shares of Yum! Brands stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $160.48, for a total value of $44,452.96. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 483 shares in the company, valued at approximately $77,511.84. The trade was a 36.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 12,423 shares of company stock valued at $1,953,721 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.14% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

YUM has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $177.00 price objective on Yum! Brands in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Citigroup raised their target price on Yum! Brands from $175.00 to $178.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Sunday, July 12th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and set a $165.00 price target on shares of Yum! Brands in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Morgan Stanley upgraded Yum! Brands from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $180.00 to $185.00 in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Yum! Brands in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $174.81.

Yum! Brands News Summary

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

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.