AlphaQuest LLC Acquires 32,879 Shares of Yum China $YUMC

AlphaQuest LLC increased its holdings in shares of Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) by 119.3% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 60,442 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 32,879 shares during the period. AlphaQuest LLC’s holdings in Yum China were worth $2,594,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Yum China by 4.7% during 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 last quarter. BNP Paribas increased its holdings 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 during the last quarter. Everstar Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in Yum China by 5.3% in the second quarter. Everstar Asset Management LLC now owns 5,388 shares of the company’s stock valued at $241,000 after buying an additional 272 shares during the period. Capital Investment Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Yum China by 4.5% during the second quarter. Capital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 6,528 shares of the company’s stock worth $292,000 after buying an additional 281 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Coldstream Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Yum China by 5.4% during the second quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 5,518 shares of the company’s stock worth $247,000 after buying an additional 283 shares during the last quarter. 85.58% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. CLSA reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $55.00 price target on shares of Yum China in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Yum China in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $55.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Warton Wang sold 8,187 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.28, for a total value of $395,268.36. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 46,847 shares in the company, valued at $2,261,773.16. The trade was a 14.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Jeff Kuai sold 5,167 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.00, for a total value of $248,016.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 56,602 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,716,896. This represents a 8.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 18,242 shares of company stock valued at $878,397. Company insiders own 0.40% of the company’s stock.

Yum China Trading Down 2.1%

NYSE YUMC opened at $49.43 on Friday. Yum China has a one year low of $41.00 and a one year high of $53.99. 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 cap of $17.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.51, a P/E/G ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.14. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $48.06 and its 200-day moving average is $46.00.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $0.76 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.76. Yum China had a net margin of 7.81% and a return on equity of 14.08%. The firm had revenue of $3.21 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.20 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.77 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Yum China will post 2.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Yum China Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 23rd. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 2nd were given a $0.24 dividend. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 2nd. Yum China’s payout ratio is currently 39.83%.

Yum China declared that its board has authorized a share repurchase program on Friday, December 12th that permits the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to buy up to 5.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are generally an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

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.