The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company Invests $22.64 Million in Yum! Brands, Inc. $YUM

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company purchased a new stake in shares of Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE:YUM - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 141,601 shares of the restaurant operator's stock, valued at approximately $22,636,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company owned approximately 0.05% of Yum! Brands at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of YUM. Steph & Co. increased 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 buying an additional 86 shares during the last quarter. Edmond DE Rothschild Holding S.A. bought a new position in Yum! Brands during the second quarter valued at about $27,000. MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Yum! Brands during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Yum! Brands in the 1st quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Wiser Advisor Group LLC acquired a new position in Yum! Brands during the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.37% of the company's stock.

More Yum! Brands News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Core brands continue to grow. Stonegate Capital Partners said second-quarter results showed ex-Pizza Hut system sales up 7%, unit growth of 6%, same-store sales growth of 4% and core operating profit growth of 8%. The firm highlighted Taco Bell’s U.S. growth and KFC’s international expansion potential. Stonegate Capital Partners Initiates Coverage on Yum! Brands
• Positive Sentiment: Lower beef costs could support restaurant margins. A temporary 90-day waiver of tariffs on beef imports may reduce input costs for fast-food operators, potentially benefiting Yum!’s restaurant franchisees. ETFs to Gain as Trump Waives Off Tariffs on Beef Imports Temporarily
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst views are sharply divided. Robert W. Baird upgraded Yum! Brands to “strong-buy,” while Zacks Research downgraded it to “strong sell,” signaling substantial uncertainty over the company’s outlook and valuation.
• Negative Sentiment: Growth expectations and valuation are weighing on sentiment. Estimates for 2026 have been trimmed, while valuation analysis suggests YUM is near fair value or somewhat expensive. An article also argues that anticipated gains from AI automation may already be reflected in the stock price. Yum! Brands stock holds above $150 as estimates are trimmed
• Negative Sentiment: Investor investigation adds legal overhang. Pomerantz LLP said it is investigating potential claims on behalf of Yum! Brands investors. The announcement could increase reputational and litigation concerns, although an investigation does not establish wrongdoing by the company. Pomerantz investor alert regarding Yum! Brands

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently commented on YUM. Morgan Stanley upgraded Yum! Brands from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $180.00 to $185.00 in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Zacks Research downgraded Yum! Brands from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Yum! Brands from $170.00 to $160.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. UBS Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Yum! Brands in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. Finally, TD Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $180.00 price target on shares of Yum! Brands in a report on Tuesday, June 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Yum! Brands currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $174.65.

Insider Activity at Yum! Brands

In related news, CEO Scott Mezvinsky sold 268 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $153.15, for a total value of $41,044.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 483 shares in the company, valued at approximately $73,971.45. This represents a 35.69% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, COO Tracy L. Skeans sold 3,494 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, August 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $158.00, for a total value of $552,052.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 3 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $474. This trade represents a 99.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 19,043 shares of company stock worth $2,978,180 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.14% of the company's stock.

Yum! Brands Stock Performance

Shares of YUM opened at $150.69 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $153.44 and a 200-day simple moving average of $155.82. Yum! Brands, Inc. has a 52 week low of $137.33 and a 52 week high of $170.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $41.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.96, a P/E/G ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 0.55.

Yum! Brands (NYSE:YUM - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The restaurant operator reported $1.62 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.58 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $2.17 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.18 billion. Yum! Brands had a negative return on equity of 24.57% and a net margin of 25.42%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 12.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.44 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Yum! Brands, Inc. will post 6.42 earnings per share for the current year.

Yum! Brands declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, June 16th that allows the company to repurchase $4.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the restaurant operator to reacquire up to 9.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally an indication that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.

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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