Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM) is one of the world’s largest restaurant companies, operating globally scaled brands including KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut. Shares recently traded around $155 per share, giving the company a market value of roughly $43.0 billion.
Yum! Brands operates a largely franchise based, asset light model that has supported steady margins and cash generation over time. Reviewing who owns the stock and how insiders have traded helps provide insight into how large investors may be viewing valuation, durability, and long term fundamentals today.
Who Are Yum! Brands’ Top Shareholders?
Yum! Brands’ shareholder base is led by major institutional investors. These firms tend to hold through market cycles, which can help keep long term ownership stable. Recent position changes show how active managers are adjusting exposure at current price levels.
- The Vanguard Group: 35.1M shares (12.65%), ~$5.43B value. Added 682k shares (+1.98%).
- BlackRock Institutional Trust Company: 16.8M shares (6.04%), ~$2.59B value. Cut 199k shares (-1.17%).
- Capital International Investors: 16.2M shares (5.83%), ~$2.50B value. Added 487k shares (+3.10%).
- T. Rowe Price Investment Management: 15.7M shares (5.66%), ~$2.43B value. Added 4.9M shares (+45.68%).
- State Street Investment Management: 13.0M shares (4.70%), ~$2.02B value. Cut 91k shares (-0.69%).
- JP Morgan Asset Management: 12.7M shares (4.58%), ~$2.0B value. Cut 2.0M shares (-13.64%).
- Geode Capital Management: 8.7M shares (3.13%), ~$1.34B value. Added 463k shares (+5.64%).
- Norges Bank Investment Management: 4.1M shares (1.46%), ~$629M value. Added 946k shares (+30.30%).
Large additions from T. Rowe Price and Norges Bank stand out, while trims from JP Morgan and BlackRock suggest some managers may be managing exposure after strong performance, which for investors points to continued institutional support alongside selective valuation caution.
Hedge Fund Highlights
Citadel Advisors, led by Ken Griffin, made one of the most notable moves last quarter, sharply increasing its Yum! Brands position by more than 900%. The firm added roughly 1.8M shares and now holds about $305M in value, which may suggest growing confidence in Yum!’s earnings consistency and global brand scale.
Millennium Management, founded by Israel Englander, also meaningfully expanded its exposure, boosting its position by over 240% to roughly $71M in value. The increase could reflect a more constructive view on near term fundamentals, though the position remains moderate relative to the firm’s overall portfolio.
O’Shaughnessy Asset Management, run by James O’Shaughnessy, raised its Yum! Brands holdings by around 40% to approximately $7M in value. While smaller in size, the increase stands out as a directional shift compared to prior positioning.
Ritholtz Wealth Management, led by Barry Ritholtz, increased its stake by about 30%, bringing its position to roughly $0.6M in value. The move suggests incremental interest rather than a passive hold, and for investors, hedge fund activity overall appears mixed but slightly constructive.
Track the top shareholders of over 50,000 global stocks (It’s free) >>>
Yum! Brands’ Recent Insider Trades
Insider transactions can offer context into how executives and directors may be managing personal exposure, though filings do not explain intent.
- Scott Mezvinsky (Director): Sold shares near $153 on 11/30/25.
- Christopher Lee Turner (Director): Received small share grants on 11/20/25 at $0.
- Tracy L. Skeans (Officer): Sold shares near $149 on 11/16/25 and received shares priced around $78.
These transactions are small relative to Yum! Brands’ total share count and do not materially change insider ownership. It appears insider activity has been measured and limited, which for investors provides context without signaling a strong directional view.
See recent insider trade data for over 50,000 global stocks (It’s free) >>>
What the Ownership & Insider Trade Data Tell Us
Yum! Brands remains anchored by large, long term institutional holders, reflecting confidence in the company’s franchise driven model and cash flow durability. Hedge fund positioning shows selective additions, while insider activity remains modest in scale.
For investors, the data suggests Yum! Brands continues to be viewed as a high quality, durable business, though positioning across institutions and insiders appears balanced rather than aggressive at current valuation levels.
Value Any Stock in Under 60 Seconds (It’s Free)
With TIKR’s new Valuation Model tool, you can estimate a stock’s potential share price in under a minute.
All it takes is three simple inputs:
- Revenue Growth
- Operating Margins
- Exit P/E Multiple
From there, TIKR calculates the potential share price and total returns under Bull, Base, and Bear scenarios so you can quickly see whether a stock looks undervalued or overvalued.
If you’re not sure what to enter, TIKR automatically fills in each input using analysts’ consensus estimates, giving you a quick, reliable starting point.
See a stock’s true value in under 60 seconds (Free with TIKR) >>>