Korea Investment CORP Sells 13,650 Shares of Yum China $YUMC

Korea Investment CORP cut its stake in Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) by 3.9% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 333,369 shares of the company’s stock after selling 13,650 shares during the period. Korea Investment CORP owned approximately 0.09% of Yum China worth $14,611,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Jackson Grant Investment Advisers Inc. grew its position in Yum China by 526.3% during the third quarter. Jackson Grant Investment Advisers Inc. now owns 595 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. Quent Capital LLC acquired a new position in Yum China in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc lifted its position in shares of Yum China by 95.6% in the 2nd quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 665 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 325 shares during the period. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp bought a new stake in shares of Yum China in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $45,000. Finally, Caldwell Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of Yum China during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $56,000. 85.58% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Yum China Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:YUMC opened at $52.92 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a current ratio of 1.05 and a quick ratio of 0.85. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $51.71 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $47.60. Yum China has a fifty-two week low of $41.00 and a fifty-two week high of $58.39. The stock has a market capitalization of $18.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 0.11.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.40 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.35 by $0.05. Yum China had a net margin of 7.87% and a return on equity of 14.65%. The company had revenue of $2.82 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.72 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.30 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that Yum China will post 2.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Yum China Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 25th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be paid a dividend of $0.29 per share. This is a positive change from Yum China’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.24. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 4th. Yum China’s payout ratio is currently 46.22%.

Yum China announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase program on Friday, December 12th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to buy up to 5.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically a sign that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently commented on YUMC shares. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $63.64 target price on shares of Yum China in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. CLSA reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $55.00 price target on shares of Yum China in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $58.50 price objective on shares of Yum China in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Yum China from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Yum China in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $59.05.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Joey Wat sold 104,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.18, for a total transaction of $5,738,720.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 433,306 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $23,909,825.08. This trade represents a 19.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Xueling Lu sold 23,504 shares of Yum China stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.84, for a total transaction of $1,312,463.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 9,042 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $504,905.28. This trade represents a 72.22% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 135,117 shares of company stock valued at $7,479,590. 0.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Yum China Company Profile

Yum China Holdings, Inc operates as the largest quick-service restaurant company in China, through its ownership and franchising of brands such as KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell. The company’s core business encompasses full-service and fast‐casual dining, takeout and delivery channels, as well as ancillary services including loyalty programs and digital ordering platforms. Yum China’s restaurants offer a diverse menu that adapts global brand concepts to local consumer preferences, featuring items such as soy‐marinated chicken, customized pizzas and region‐inspired side dishes.

In addition to its signature brands, Yum China has expanded its portfolio to include innovative concepts tailored to evolving market trends, such as plant‐based offerings, self‐service kiosks and mobile app integrations.