Yum shares jump after Third Point buys stake

Shares of Yum Brands Inc., the parent company of KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, soared Friday after a prominent investor said he has taken a stake in the company and thinks it could soon recover from years of trouble in China.

The letter from Daniel Loeb’s Third Point hedge fund to investors drove Yum shares to an all-time high of $90.73 early Friday. The stock settled down slightly and was up $3.58, or 4.2 percent, to $89.56 in morning trading.

Third Point did not disclose specifics on its stake in the company.

Louisville, Kentucky-based Yum gets much of its revenue from China, where it is still recovering after a TV report allegedly showed one of its suppliers using expired meat. A bird-flu outbreak and competition have also hampered the company’s efforts in China.

But, Third Point told investors that the KFC brand, with 75 percent of its units in China, still resonates with local customers. Also, management changes and recent quarterly profit results are encouraging.

“With China stabilizing and on the road to recovery, we see scope for significant earnings growth ahead as profits recover,” Third Point said.

Yum said last week that sales at established stores in China fell 12 percent in the most recent quarter. That wasn’t as bad as the 16 percent decline the quarter before.