Yum China $YUMC Shares Bought by Temasek Holdings Private Ltd

Temasek Holdings Private Ltd boosted its stake in Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) by 25.1% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 4,654,717 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 932,859 shares during the quarter. Yum China comprises 0.7% of Temasek Holdings Private Ltd’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 28th biggest position. Temasek Holdings Private Ltd’s holdings in Yum China were worth $199,780,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Glenmede Investment Management LP increased its stake in Yum China by 3.8% during the 3rd quarter. Glenmede Investment Management LP now owns 10,215 shares of the company’s stock worth $438,000 after buying an additional 371 shares in the last quarter. BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Corp raised its holdings in shares of Yum China by 19.1% during the third quarter. BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Corp now owns 359,050 shares of the company’s stock valued at $15,733,000 after acquiring an additional 57,600 shares during the last quarter. BOKF NA raised its holdings in shares of Yum China by 18.9% during the third quarter. BOKF NA now owns 2,518 shares of the company’s stock valued at $108,000 after acquiring an additional 400 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its position in shares of Yum China by 43.4% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 2,220,546 shares of the company’s stock valued at $96,655,000 after acquiring an additional 672,090 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its position in shares of Yum China by 63.0% in the third quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 242,724 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,418,000 after acquiring an additional 93,832 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.58% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Insider Activity at Yum China

In other Yum China news, insider Jerry Ding sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.14, for a total transaction of $165,420.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 915 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $50,453.10. This trade represents a 76.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Joey Wat sold 104,000 shares of Yum China stock in a transaction on Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.18, for a total value of $5,738,720.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 433,306 shares in the company, valued at $23,909,825.08. This represents a 19.36% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 135,117 shares of company stock worth $7,479,590. Insiders own 0.40% of the company’s stock.

Yum China Price Performance

Yum China stock opened at $52.66 on Friday. Yum China has a 12-month low of $41.00 and a 12-month high of $58.39. The stock has a market cap of $18.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.98, a PEG ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 0.11. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $51.90 and a 200 day moving average price of $47.68. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.40 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.35 by $0.05. Yum China had a net margin of 7.87% and a return on equity of 14.65%. The company had revenue of $2.82 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.72 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.30 earnings per share. Yum China’s quarterly revenue was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Yum China will post 2.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Yum China Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared 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 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 4th. This is a boost from Yum China’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.24. Yum China’s dividend payout ratio is presently 46.22%.

Yum China announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase program on Friday, December 12th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to purchase up to 5.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are generally a sign that the company’s management 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.