Principal Financial Group Inc. Raises Stock Holdings in Yum China $YUMC

Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) by 14.8% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 20,169,661 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,604,480 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned approximately 0.06% of Yum China worth $883,687,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of YUMC. Focus Partners Wealth raised its stake in shares of Yum China by 13.8% during the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 21,289 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,108,000 after acquiring an additional 2,582 shares during the last quarter. Strs Ohio purchased a new position in Yum China during the 1st quarter valued at about $99,000. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC raised its position in Yum China by 25.8% during the 2nd quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 18,921 shares of the company’s stock valued at $846,000 after purchasing an additional 3,882 shares during the last quarter. Capital Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Yum China by 4.5% in the 2nd 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 period. Finally, Patriot Financial Group Insurance Agency LLC lifted its holdings in Yum China by 16.1% in the 2nd quarter. Patriot Financial Group Insurance Agency LLC now owns 9,902 shares of the company’s stock worth $443,000 after buying an additional 1,370 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.58% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Yum China

In other news, insider Duoduo (Howard) Huang sold 4,888 shares of Yum China stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.10, for a total transaction of $235,112.80. Following the completion of 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Warton Wang sold 8,187 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.28, 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 represents a 14.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 18,242 shares of company stock valued at $878,397 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.40% of the company’s stock.

Yum China Stock Down 2.1%

Shares of NYSE:YUMC opened at $49.43 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization 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 company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 1.32. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $48.06 and a 200-day moving average price of $45.99. Yum China has a 52-week low of $41.00 and a 52-week high of $53.99.

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

Yum China announced that its board has approved a share repurchase program on Friday, December 12th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to repurchase up to 5.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are usually an indication that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Yum China Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 23rd. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 2nd were paid a $0.24 dividend. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 2nd. Yum China’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.83%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. CLSA restated an “outperform” rating and set a $55.00 target price on shares of Yum China in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Yum China in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $55.00.

Yum China Company 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.