Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE:YUM) Receives $170.30 Consensus Price Target from Analysts

Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE:YUM) has earned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-two research firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $171.05.

YUM has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Guggenheim lowered their price target on shares of Yum! Brands from $167.00 to $160.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 28th. Gordon Haskett upgraded shares of Yum! Brands from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $177.00 price target on shares of Yum! Brands in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Evercore ISI upgraded Yum! Brands from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and boosted their price target for the company from $165.00 to $180.00 in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $160.00 price target on Yum! Brands in a research report on Monday, November 17th.

Yum! Brands Trading Up 0.3%

NYSE:YUM opened at $159.22 on Monday. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $152.84 and a 200 day simple moving average of $148.91. The stock has a market cap of $44.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.04, a PEG ratio of 2.19 and a beta of 0.66. Yum! Brands has a 1-year low of $129.55 and a 1-year high of $163.30.

Yum! Brands (NYSE:YUM) last posted 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 negative return on equity of 21.79% and a net margin of 17.95%.The firm had revenue of $2.51 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.45 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.61 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Yum! Brands will post 5.94 EPS for the current year.

Yum! Brands Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 6th. Investors of record on Friday, February 20th will be given a $0.75 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 20th. This is an increase 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 dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 55.36%.

Key Yum! Brands News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Taco Bell led the quarter with robust same‑store sales and system growth, helping Yum deliver revenue above expectations and underpinning confidence in the portfolio’s growth engine. KFC-parent Yum Brands tops same-store sales estimates as diners seek value meals
• Positive Sentiment: Yum raised its quarterly dividend to $0.75 (a ~5.6% increase), signaling management confidence and making the stock more attractive to income investors. Taco Bell, KFC Parent Yum! Brands Hikes Dividend Despite Margin Squeeze
• Neutral Sentiment: Top line beat: Q4 revenue of $2.51B topped estimates (revenue +6.4% YoY), showing demand and unit growth offsetting other headwinds — a mixed but important signal for continued sales momentum. Earnings Breakdown: Yum Brands Q4
• Negative Sentiment: EPS slightly missed expectations (non‑GAAP $1.73 vs. ~$1.76 consensus) and company commentary cited margin pressure at restaurants — a near-term profit/headline risk that trimmed investor enthusiasm. Yum Brands (YUM) Q4 Earnings Lag Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Pizza Hut continues to underperform: Yum plans to close ~250 U.S. Pizza Hut locations and is conducting a strategic review (including potential sale). That raises execution and turnaround risk for the pizza brand. Pizza Hut Will Shutter 250 U.S. Locations As Yum Weighs The Brand’s Future
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling was reported (~US$6.3M), which some investors view as a cautionary sign amid the mixed results and Pizza Hut uncertainties. Insiders At Yum! Brands Sold US$6.3m In Stock, Alluding To Potential Weakness

Insider Activity at Yum! Brands

In related news, CEO Scott Mezvinsky sold 276 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $153.17, for a total transaction of $42,274.92. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, COO Tracy L. Skeans sold 24,332 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $149.10, for a total transaction of $3,627,901.20. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 27,398 shares of company stock valued at $4,090,015 over the last quarter. 0.33% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Yum! Brands

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Salomon & Ludwin LLC lifted its position in shares of Yum! Brands by 679.2% during the 3rd quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 187 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 163 shares during the last quarter. Wiser Advisor Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Yum! Brands in the third quarter worth about $28,000. Community Bank N.A. acquired a new stake in shares of Yum! Brands in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Yum! Brands by 81.7% in the 3rd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 198 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CNB Bank grew its holdings in shares of Yum! Brands by 833.3% during the 3rd quarter. CNB Bank now owns 224 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 82.37% 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.