Yum China $YUMC Shares Sold by JPMorgan Chase & Co.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut its stake in Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) by 6.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 27,245,506 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,905,161 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. owned 0.08% of Yum China worth $1,169,377,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in YUMC. Shell Asset Management Co. boosted its holdings in shares of Yum China by 35.7% during the third quarter. Shell Asset Management Co. now owns 24,309 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,043,000 after acquiring an additional 6,400 shares during the period. ABN Amro Investment Solutions boosted its stake in Yum China by 19.3% during the 3rd quarter. ABN Amro Investment Solutions now owns 20,527 shares of the company’s stock valued at $881,000 after purchasing an additional 3,327 shares during the period. Assetmark Inc. grew its position in Yum China by 32.8% in the 3rd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 411,673 shares of the company’s stock worth $17,669,000 after purchasing an additional 101,772 shares during the last quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board increased its stake in shares of Yum China by 45.1% in the third quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 703,343 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,826,000 after purchasing an additional 218,450 shares during the period. Finally, Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund increased its stake in shares of Yum China by 6.5% in the third quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 15,408 shares of the company’s stock valued at $661,000 after purchasing an additional 940 shares during the period. 85.58% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other Yum China news, insider Jeff Kuai sold 5,167 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on 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 owned 56,602 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,716,896. This represents a 8.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Joey Wat sold 4,613 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $57.01, for a total value of $262,987.13. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 537,306 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $30,631,815.06. This represents a 0.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 25,855 shares of company stock valued at $1,306,804 in the last ninety days. 0.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Yum China Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE YUMC opened at $55.42 on Tuesday. Yum China has a 1 year low of $41.00 and a 1 year high of $58.39. The firm has a market cap of $20.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.08, a PEG ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.13. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $49.67 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $46.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 1.32.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 14.46% and a net margin of 7.87%.The company had revenue of $2.82 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.72 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.30 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that Yum China will post 2.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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

Yum China Increases Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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