Eukles Asset Management Reduces Holdings in Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE:YUM)

Eukles Asset Management lowered its stake in shares of Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE:YUM) by 7.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 20,074 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after selling 1,525 shares during the quarter. Yum! Brands comprises 1.1% of Eukles Asset Management’s portfolio, making the stock its 29th largest position. Eukles Asset Management’s holdings in Yum! Brands were worth $2,693,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Yum! Brands during the 4th quarter worth approximately $78,000. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC grew its stake in Yum! Brands by 16.2% in the fourth quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC now owns 6,076 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $815,000 after purchasing an additional 845 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC raised its holdings in Yum! Brands by 12.4% in the fourth quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 31,814 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $4,268,000 after purchasing an additional 3,518 shares in the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB lifted its position in Yum! Brands by 9.5% during the fourth quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 9,993 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $1,341,000 after buying an additional 865 shares during the period. Finally, Kingsview Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Yum! Brands by 8.3% during the 4th quarter. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC now owns 11,200 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $1,503,000 after buying an additional 857 shares in the last quarter. 82.37% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Yum! Brands news, CEO David W. Gibbs sold 3,815 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $137.06, for a total value of $522,883.90. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 149,385 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $20,474,708.10. This trade represents a 2.49 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.31% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Yum! Brands Trading Down 0.4 %

Shares of YUM stock opened at $143.49 on Monday. Yum! Brands, Inc. has a 12-month low of $122.13 and a 12-month high of $144.71. The stock has a market capitalization of $40.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.49, a P/E/G ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 1.10. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $132.37 and its 200 day moving average is $133.88.

Yum! Brands Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 21st will be paid a $0.71 dividend. This is an increase from Yum! Brands’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.67. This represents a $2.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.98%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 21st. Yum! Brands’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 51.34%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Yum! Brands from $156.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their target price on shares of Yum! Brands from $147.00 to $145.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 6th. Morgan Stanley reissued an “equal weight” rating and issued a $140.00 price target (down from $158.00) on shares of Yum! Brands in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. Redburn Atlantic lowered Yum! Brands from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, November 11th. Finally, Bank of America dropped their target price on Yum! Brands from $147.00 to $145.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $147.37.

About Yum! Brands

Yum! Brands, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, develops, operates, and franchises quick service restaurants worldwide. The company operates through the KFC Division, the Taco Bell Division, the Pizza Hut Division, and the Habit Burger Grill Division segments. It also operates restaurants under the KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and The Habit Burger Grill brands, which specialize in chicken, pizza, made-to-order chargrilled burgers, sandwiches, Mexican-style food categories, and other food products.