Madison Asset Management LLC Makes New $2.99 Million Investment in Yum China $YUMC

Madison Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 73,095 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,987,000.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in YUMC. Focus Partners Wealth lifted its holdings in Yum China by 13.8% during the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 21,289 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,108,000 after purchasing an additional 2,582 shares during the last quarter. Strs Ohio bought a new stake in Yum China during the first quarter worth about $99,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Yum China by 60.9% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,522 shares of the company’s stock worth $68,000 after buying an additional 576 shares in the last quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Yum China during the second quarter worth approximately $14,659,000. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. raised its stake in shares of Yum China by 13.1% in the second quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 5,871,382 shares of the company’s stock valued at $262,509,000 after acquiring an additional 677,928 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 85.58% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Yum China

In other Yum China news, insider Jeff Kuai sold 14,586 shares of Yum China stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.72, for a total transaction of $696,043.92. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 63,541 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,032,176.52. The trade was a 18.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Duoduo (Howard) Huang sold 24,096 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.08, for a total value of $1,134,439.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 7,589 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $357,290.12. The trade was a 76.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.44% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Yum China Price Performance

Shares of YUMC stock opened at $48.89 on Friday. Yum China has a 52-week low of $40.15 and a 52-week high of $58.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a current ratio of 0.96. The stock has a market cap of $16.74 billion, a PE ratio of 17.91, a PEG ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 0.09. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $44.40 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $47.86.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $0.70 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.67 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $3.14 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.05 billion. Yum China had a return on equity of 15.82% and a net margin of 7.84%.The firm’s revenue was up 12.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.58 earnings per share. As a group, analysts forecast that Yum China will post 2.95 EPS for the current year.

Yum China Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 17th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 27th will be given a dividend of $0.29 per share. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 27th. Yum China’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 42.49%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently commented on YUMC. Weiss Ratings downgraded Yum China from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $59.00 target price on shares of Yum China in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Yum China from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Yum China has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $59.21.

About Yum China

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.