Assetmark Inc. Reduces Stake in Yum! Brands, Inc.

Assetmark Inc. has significantly reduced its investment in Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE:YUM) by 74.9% during the fourth quarter, as disclosed in their latest 13F filing with the SEC. Following this adjustment, Assetmark now holds 4,018 shares of the popular restaurant operator's stock, having sold off 12,014 shares in the same period. The firm’s remaining holdings in Yum! Brands are valued at approximately $539,000 as of the recent reporting period.

Institutional Investors' Movements

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also been adjusting their positions concerning Yum! Brands. Covestor Ltd increased its holdings by 18.1% in the third quarter, bringing their total shares to 769, which are valued at around $107,000 after acquiring an additional 118 shares. Apollon Wealth Management LLC raised their stake by 2.1%, now owning 7,226 shares worth $1,010,000, following an acquisition of 152 additional shares. Harbour Investments Inc. saw a 41.9% increase in their holdings, now holding 2,653 shares valued at $371,000 after purchasing 784 shares. Additionally, OVERSEA CHINESE BANKING Corp Ltd initiated a new investment in Yum! Brands in the third quarter, estimated at $1,262,000. Finally, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. grew their stake by 3.1%, owning 689,631 shares valued at $96,348,000 after acquiring another 20,966 shares. Overall, 82.37% of Yum! Brands stocks are currently held by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Trading Activity

In related news, Yum! Brands COO Tracy L. Skeans sold 8,638 shares of the company's stock on March 6th, at an average price of $158.36, totaling approximately $1,367,913.68. After this sale, the COO retains 2,970 shares valued at $470,329.20, reflecting a 74.41% decrease in her holdings. This transaction was documented in a filing with the SEC. Additionally, CEO David W. Gibbs sold 3,815 shares on December 16th, at an average price of $137.06, bringing in about $522,883.90. Post-sale, Gibbs holds 149,385 shares of the company, valued at approximately $20,474,708.10, marking a 2.49% decrease in his stake. Insiders sold a total of 48,654 shares valued at around $7,659,176 within the last three months, with company insiders holding only 0.31% of the company's total stock.

Analyst Recommendations

Several research analysts have recently provided updates regarding Yum! Brands shares. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target from $145.00 to $160.00 and maintained an 'equal weight' rating on March 5th. UBS Group increased their target price from $156.00 to $165.00, giving the stock a 'buy' rating on February 7th. Argus upgraded Yum! Brands from a 'hold' rating to a 'buy' rating with a target price of $155.00 on December 31st. Barclays also raised their target from $162.00 to $165.00, supporting an 'overweight' rating. Robert W. Baird increased their price target from $160.00 to $176.00 with an 'outperform' rating announced on March 5th. In total, fifteen analysts rate the stock as a hold, while five have issued buy ratings. The consensus rating for Yum! Brands is currently classified as 'Hold', with an average target price of $150.42.

Yum! Brands Performance Overview

Yum! Brands shares opened at $154.41 recently. The stock’s 50-day moving average stands at $140.18, while its 200-day moving average is $136.79. The company boasts a market capitalization of $43.10 billion, a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 29.58, a price-to-earnings-growth (P/E/G) ratio of 2.31, and a beta of 1.03, indicating some volatility. Over the past year, Yum! Brands has encountered a 52-week low of $122.13 and a high of $163.30.

Dividend Information

In addition to these business movements, Yum! Brands has recently increased its quarterly dividend, which was paid on March 7th. Shareholders of record as of February 21st received a dividend of $0.71, marking an increase from the previous quarterly dividend of $0.67. This dividend translates to an annualized yield of 1.84%, with an overall payout ratio of 54.41%.

About Yum! Brands

Yum! Brands, Inc., along with its subsidiaries, develops and manages a range of quick-service restaurants globally. The company operates through various segments, including KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and Habit Burger Grill, providing a diverse menu specializing in chicken, pizza, burgers, sandwiches, and other food offerings.

Assetmark, Yum, Shares