Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. Purchases 14,670 Shares of Yum! Brands, Inc. $YUM

Key Points

• Harel Insurance Investments increased its Yum! Brands stake by 39.9% in Q1, buying 14,670 additional shares and bringing its total holding to 51,462 shares worth about $8.0 million.
• Yum! Brands reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $1.50 versus $1.39 expected and revenue of $2.06 billion, up 15.2% year over year.
• The company also announced a $4 billion stock buyback and paid a quarterly dividend of $0.75 per share, while analysts currently rate the stock a Moderate Buy with an average price target of $174.81.

Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. grew its position in Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE:YUM - Free Report) by 39.9% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 51,462 shares of the restaurant operator's stock after acquiring an additional 14,670 shares during the period. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd.'s holdings in Yum! Brands were worth $8,001,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Steph & Co. lifted its position in Yum! Brands by 107.5% during 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 last quarter. Wiser Advisor Group LLC bought a new position in Yum! Brands in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in Yum! Brands in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Yum! Brands during the first quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Jessup Wealth Management Inc acquired a new position in Yum! Brands during the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. 82.37% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Yum! Brands Stock Down 3.7%

Shares of YUM opened at $152.33 on Thursday. The business's fifty day moving average is $154.56 and its 200 day moving average is $156.92. Yum! Brands, Inc. has a 12-month low of $137.33 and a 12-month high of $170.14. The stock has a market cap of $41.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.57, a P/E/G ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.56.

Yum! Brands (NYSE:YUM - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The restaurant operator reported $1.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.39 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $2.06 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.04 billion. Yum! Brands had a net margin of 20.48% and a negative return on equity of 23.51%. The business's revenue was up 15.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.30 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that Yum! Brands, Inc. will post 6.7 EPS for the current year.

Yum! Brands Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 12th. Stockholders 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. Yum! Brands's dividend payout ratio is 48.39%.

Yum! Brands announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback program on Tuesday, June 16th that authorizes the company to buyback $4.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the restaurant operator to buy up to 9.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally an indication that the company's leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have issued reports on YUM shares. TD Cowen restated a "buy" rating and set a $180.00 price target on shares of Yum! Brands in a report on Tuesday, June 16th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $177.00 price objective on shares of Yum! Brands in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Evercore reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Yum! Brands in a research note on Tuesday, June 16th. UBS Group restated a "buy" rating on shares of Yum! Brands in a report on Thursday, June 18th. Finally, Citigroup increased their price target on Yum! Brands from $175.00 to $178.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Sunday. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $174.81.

Yum! Brands News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Pizza Hut launched a limited-time “Throwback Value Menu,” plus a streetwear collaboration and nostalgic “Back to the Hut” promotion, which could help support customer traffic and brand buzz. Pizza Hut Introduces New Throwback Value Menu to Celebrate Its Most Iconic Menu Items
• Neutral Sentiment: Yum! Brands also remains in restructuring mode, including selling Pizza Hut operations in some markets, which could improve focus and margins over time but is not an immediate catalyst. Yum! Brands (YUM) Stock May Be Near Fair Value On Outbreak Probe
• Negative Sentiment: Federal and state health officials are investigating whether Taco Bell ingredients were linked to a multistate cyclosporiasis outbreak, prompting Taco Bell to remove select items and fresh ingredients from some restaurants as a precaution. Yum shares fall after report US health authorities investigating Taco Bell in cyclosporiasis outbreak
• Negative Sentiment: News of the investigation has weighed on sentiment and pushed the shares lower as investors worry about possible reputational damage, traffic disruption, and any broader food-safety fallout for Taco Bell. Is Yum! Brands (YUM) Below Fair Value As Cyclospora Headlines Weigh On Sentiment?

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Aaron Powell sold 6,001 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $160.42, for a total value of $962,680.42. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 12,003 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,925,521.26. This represents a 33.33% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Sean Tresvant sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $154.68, for a total transaction of $464,040.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer 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 disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 12,423 shares of company stock valued at $1,953,721. 0.14% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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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