Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank Has $18.73 Million Stock Position in Yum! Brands, Inc. $YUM

Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank reduced its stake in shares of Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE:YUM) by 46.7% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 123,798 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after selling 108,405 shares during the quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank’s holdings in Yum! Brands were worth $18,728,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. grew its position in shares of Yum! Brands by 3.0% during the 4th quarter. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 9,099 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $1,376,000 after buying an additional 265 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Trust Services Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Yum! Brands during the 4th quarter worth about $329,000. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. grew its position in shares of Yum! Brands by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 137,805 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $20,981,000 after buying an additional 2,332 shares during the period. Ninety One UK Ltd grew its position in shares of Yum! Brands by 50.0% during the 4th quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd now owns 150,154 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $22,715,000 after buying an additional 50,061 shares during the period. Finally, Chicago Capital LLC grew its position in shares of Yum! Brands by 4.1% during the 4th quarter. Chicago Capital LLC now owns 12,693 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $1,920,000 after buying an additional 496 shares during the period. 82.37% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

YUM has been the subject of several analyst reports. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on Yum! Brands from $165.00 to $176.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating and set a $180.00 target price on shares of Yum! Brands in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Barclays set a $185.00 target price on Yum! Brands and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. BMO Capital Markets restated a “market perform” rating and set a $165.00 target price on shares of Yum! Brands in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company restated a “positive” rating on shares of Yum! Brands in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Yum! Brands presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $174.50.

Key Headlines Impacting Yum! Brands

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

• Positive Sentiment: UBS reiterated its rating and highlighted that Taco Bell and KFC retain solid momentum, calling Yum well positioned for continued growth — a supportive view ahead of earnings that can underpin confidence in top-line recovery and international expansion. Yum! Brands Backed by Taco Bell, KFC Momentum, UBS Says
• Positive Sentiment: Pizza Hut relaunched “Hut Rewards” as a paid-style membership to deepen loyalty and drive frequency; if adoption lifts average unit volumes and retention, it supports long-term margins and comp growth. PIZZA HUT INTRODUCES NEW HUT REWARDS…
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks published a bullish style/metrics piece highlighting Yum as a growth stock based on its mix of brand strength and digital initiatives — a narrative that can attract growth-oriented investors. Here’s Why Yum Brands (YUM) is a Strong Growth Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: RBC Capital reiterated a Hold / Sector Perform on Yum, signaling caution on near-term upside despite the company’s durable brands — a neutral-to-cautious analyst stance that can limit short-term rallies. Yum! Brands (YUM) Receives a Hold from RBC Capital
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent valuation/write-ups note a consolidation after gains and show YUM trading at a premium vs. some peers; this keeps upside tied to execution rather than valuation multiple expansion. A Look At Yum Brands (YUM) Valuation After Recent Share Price Consolidation
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent transcripts and company commentary (Q2 2025 call) provide operational color but no new guidance; useful for modelling but unlikely to move the stock absent fresh metrics. Yum (YUM) Q2 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple earnings previews (Yahoo/Zacks) say Yum is likely to see EPS growth but lacks the two key ingredients typically needed for an earnings beat, flagging upside risk and raising the chance of disappointment at the upcoming report — a principal reason for downward pressure. Yum Brands (YUM) Earnings Expected to Grow: What to Know Ahead of Next Week’s Release

Yum! Brands Price Performance

NYSE:YUM opened at $159.22 on Thursday. Yum! Brands, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $137.33 and a fifty-two week high of $169.39. The stock has a market capitalization of $43.97 billion, a PE ratio of 28.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 0.66. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $160.16 and its 200-day simple moving average is $153.96.

Yum! Brands (NYSE:YUM) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The restaurant operator reported $1.73 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.76 by ($0.03). Yum! Brands had a net margin of 18.98% and a negative return on equity of 22.42%. The business had revenue of $2.52 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.45 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.61 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts expect that Yum! Brands, Inc. will post 6.66 earnings per share for the current year.

Yum! Brands Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 20th were issued a dividend of $0.75 per share. This is a boost from Yum! Brands’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.71. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 20th. This represents a $3.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. Yum! Brands’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 54.05%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Aaron Powell sold 12,000 shares of Yum! Brands stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.44, for a total transaction of $1,937,280.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 14,650 shares in the company, valued at $2,365,096. The trade was a 45.03% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Scott Mezvinsky sold 1,612 shares of Yum! Brands stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.63, for a total value of $265,383.56. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 14,138 shares of company stock worth $2,289,990 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.14% of the company’s stock.

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.