Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA Has $203.20 Million Holdings in Yum China $YUMC

Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA boosted its stake in Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) by 14.3% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 4,734,295 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 591,251 shares during the quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA owned about 1.30% of Yum China worth $203,196,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Yum China by 4.7% in the 2nd quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC now owns 5,106 shares of the company’s stock valued at $228,000 after acquiring an additional 230 shares during the period. BNP Paribas increased its stake in Yum China by 1.6% in the second quarter. BNP Paribas now owns 15,500 shares of the company’s stock valued at $694,000 after purchasing an additional 250 shares in the last quarter. Everstar Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Yum China by 5.3% in the second quarter. Everstar Asset Management LLC now owns 5,388 shares of the company’s stock worth $241,000 after purchasing an additional 272 shares during the period. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. boosted its position in shares of Yum China by 12.3% during the second quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 2,555 shares of the company’s stock worth $114,000 after purchasing an additional 280 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Yum China by 4.5% in the 2nd quarter. Capital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 6,528 shares of the company’s stock valued at $292,000 after buying an additional 281 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 85.58% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

YUMC has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Yum China in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. CLSA reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $55.00 price objective on shares of Yum China in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $55.00.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Warton Wang sold 8,187 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.28, for a total value of $395,268.36. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 46,847 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,261,773.16. This trade represents a 14.88% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Duoduo (Howard) Huang sold 4,888 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.10, for a total value of $235,112.80. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 22,510 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,082,731. This trade represents a 17.84% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 18,242 shares of company stock valued at $878,397. 0.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Yum China Trading Down 1.3%

NYSE:YUMC opened at $47.57 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $17.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 0.14. Yum China has a twelve month low of $41.00 and a twelve month high of $53.99. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $47.63 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $45.85. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $0.76 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.76. Yum China had a return on equity of 14.08% and a net margin of 7.81%.The company had revenue of $3.21 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.20 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.77 EPS. Yum China’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts expect that Yum China will post 2.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Yum China Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 23rd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 2nd were paid a dividend of $0.24 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 2nd. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. Yum China’s dividend payout ratio is currently 39.83%.

Yum China declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback plan on Friday, December 12th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to purchase up to 5.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

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.