London & Capital Asset Management Ltd Purchases 168,004 Shares of Yum China $YUMC

London & Capital Asset Management Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) by 22.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 902,559 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 168,004 shares during the quarter. Yum China makes up approximately 2.8% of London & Capital Asset Management Ltd’s portfolio, making the stock its 17th largest holding. London & Capital Asset Management Ltd owned 0.25% of Yum China worth $38,736,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of YUMC. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its stake in shares of Yum China by 21.5% during the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 29,150,667 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,303,326,000 after buying an additional 5,164,701 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in Yum China by 14.8% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 20,169,661 shares of the company’s stock valued at $883,687,000 after acquiring an additional 2,604,480 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Yum China by 1.0% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 15,545,068 shares of the company’s stock worth $680,252,000 after acquiring an additional 158,607 shares in the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its holdings 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 worth $262,509,000 after acquiring an additional 677,928 shares during the period. Finally, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its position in shares of Yum China by 14.3% in the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 4,734,295 shares of the company’s stock valued at $203,196,000 after purchasing an additional 591,251 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.58% of the company’s stock.

Yum China Stock Down 1.1%

Shares of NYSE YUMC opened at $54.89 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The business has a 50-day moving average of $51.02 and a 200-day moving average of $47.18. The firm has a market capitalization of $19.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.87, a PEG ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 0.11. Yum China has a 12 month low of $41.00 and a 12 month high of $58.39.

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

Yum China declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback program 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 programs are often a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Yum China Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 25th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be given a $0.29 dividend. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. This is a boost from Yum China’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.24. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 4th. Yum China’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 38.25%.

Insider Activity at Yum China

In other Yum China news, insider Xueling Lu sold 23,504 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.84, for a total transaction of $1,312,463.36. Following the sale, the insider owned 9,042 shares in the company, valued at $504,905.28. This trade represents a 72.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Joey Wat sold 104,000 shares of Yum China stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.18, for a total value of $5,738,720.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly 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 position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 135,117 shares of company stock valued at $7,479,590 over the last 90 days. 0.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

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.