Bank Pictet & Cie Europe AG Buys 17,000 Shares of Yum China $YUMC

Bank Pictet & Cie Europe AG grew its position in shares of Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) by 69.7% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 41,400 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 17,000 shares during the quarter. Bank Pictet & Cie Europe AG’s holdings in Yum China were worth $1,771,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in YUMC. Bell Investment Advisors Inc lifted its position in shares of Yum China by 95.6% during the second quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 665 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 325 shares in the last quarter. Marshall & Sullivan Inc. WA purchased a new stake in Yum China in the 2nd quarter valued at about $36,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp bought a new position in shares of Yum China during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $45,000. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB lifted its position in shares of Yum China by 26.7% during the 2nd quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 1,052 shares of the company’s stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 222 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Yum China by 76.3% in the 2nd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,070 shares of the company’s stock worth $48,000 after buying an additional 463 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 85.58% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently commented on the company. CLSA reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $55.00 price target on shares of Yum China in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Yum China in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $55.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Jeff Kuai sold 5,167 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.00, for a total value of $248,016.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 56,602 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,716,896. The trade was a 8.37% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Warton Wang sold 8,187 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.28, for a total transaction of $395,268.36. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 46,847 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,261,773.16. This trade represents a 14.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 18,242 shares of company stock valued at $878,397. 0.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Yum China Trading Down 0.2%

NYSE:YUMC opened at $47.71 on Friday. Yum China has a 12 month low of $41.00 and a 12 month high of $53.99. 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 firm’s 50 day moving average is $46.73 and its 200 day moving average is $45.54. The stock has a market capitalization of $17.24 billion, a PE ratio of 19.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 0.14.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $0.76 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.76. Yum China had a return on equity of 14.08% and a net margin of 7.81%.The business had revenue of $3.21 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.20 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.77 earnings per share. Yum China’s revenue was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that Yum China will post 2.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Yum China Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 23rd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 2nd were paid a dividend of $0.24 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 2nd. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. Yum China’s dividend payout ratio is presently 39.83%.

Yum China declared that its board has approved a share buyback program on Friday, December 12th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in 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 a sign that the company’s board of directors 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.