Todd Asset Management LLC Boosts Stock Holdings in Yum China $YUMC

Todd Asset Management LLC raised its stake in Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) by 5.8% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 841,526 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 46,499 shares during the period. Todd Asset Management LLC owned approximately 0.23% of Yum China worth $36,119,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Quent Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Yum China in the third quarter worth about $28,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc increased its stake in 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 last quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp bought a new stake in Yum China in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $45,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its position in shares of Yum China by 76.3% during the 2nd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,070 shares of the company’s stock valued at $48,000 after acquiring an additional 463 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Caldwell Trust Co bought a new position in shares of Yum China during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $56,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.58% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Duoduo (Howard) Huang sold 4,888 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.10, for a total value of $235,112.80. Following the transaction, the insider owned 22,510 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,082,731. This trade represents a 17.84% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Joey Wat sold 4,613 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $57.01, for a total transaction of $262,987.13. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 537,306 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $30,631,815.06. This trade represents a 0.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders sold 25,855 shares of company stock valued at $1,306,804. Insiders own 0.40% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on YUMC shares. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Yum China from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $58.50 price target on shares of Yum China in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $63.64 price target on shares of Yum China in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. CLSA restated an “outperform” rating and set a $55.00 price objective on shares of Yum China in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed 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 issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $59.05.

Yum China Stock Performance

Yum China stock opened at $55.42 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a current ratio of 1.32 and a quick ratio of 1.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $20.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.13. Yum China has a 1-year low of $41.00 and a 1-year high of $58.39. The company’s 50-day moving average is $49.48 and its 200 day moving average is $46.49.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.40 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.35 by $0.05. Yum China had a return on equity of 14.46% and a net margin of 7.87%.The firm had revenue of $2.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.72 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.30 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that Yum China will post 2.54 EPS for the current year.

Yum China announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback plan on Friday, December 12th that permits the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to purchase up to 5.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are often an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Yum China Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 25th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be given a dividend of $0.29 per share. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. This is a positive change from Yum China’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.24. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 4th. Yum China’s dividend payout ratio is 38.25%.

Yum China 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.