Comgest Global Investors S.A.S. Acquires 11,158 Shares of Yum China $YUMC

Comgest Global Investors S.A.S. grew its stake in shares of Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) by 5.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 214,614 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 11,158 shares during the period. Comgest Global Investors S.A.S. owned 0.06% of Yum China worth $9,211,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of YUMC. Quent Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Yum China in the 3rd quarter worth $28,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc increased its holdings in shares of Yum China by 95.6% in the second quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 665 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 325 shares during the last quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Yum China in the second quarter worth about $45,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its stake in Yum China by 76.3% during the second quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,070 shares of the company’s stock valued at $48,000 after buying an additional 463 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Caldwell Trust Co purchased a new position in Yum China during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $56,000. Institutional investors own 85.58% of the company’s stock.

Yum China Stock Up 0.7%

NYSE:YUMC opened at $55.33 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a current ratio of 1.32 and a quick ratio of 1.15. Yum China has a 1-year low of $41.00 and a 1-year high of $58.39. The company has a 50-day moving average of $50.01 and a 200 day moving average of $46.67. The firm has a market cap of $20.00 billion, a PE ratio of 22.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 0.14.

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

Yum China announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback plan on Friday, December 12th that permits the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to repurchase up to 5.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Yum China Increases Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Warton Wang sold 8,187 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.28, for a total transaction of $395,268.36. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 46,847 shares in the company, valued at $2,261,773.16. This represents a 14.88% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Joey Wat sold 104,000 shares of Yum China stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the chief executive officer owned 433,306 shares in the company, valued at $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. In the last quarter, insiders sold 124,688 shares of company stock valued at $6,797,508. 0.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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