Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) Insider Sells $165,420.00 in Stock

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) insider Jerry Ding sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.14, for a total value of $165,420.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 915 shares in the company, valued at $50,453.10. This trade represents a 76.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link.

Yum China Trading Up 4.0%

Shares of YUMC stock opened at $57.87 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $20.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.06, a PEG ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 0.13. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $48.61 and a 200-day simple moving average of $46.18. 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.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.40 earnings per share 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 14.46%. The company had revenue of $2.82 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.72 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.30 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that Yum China will post 2.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Yum China Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 25th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be issued a dividend of $0.29 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 4th. This is a positive change from Yum China’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.24. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. Yum China’s payout ratio is currently 38.25%.

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Yum China

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in Yum China by 36.7% in the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,349 shares of the company’s stock valued at $112,000 after purchasing an additional 631 shares during the period. Global Retirement Partners LLC boosted its position in Yum China by 146.6% during the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 1,842 shares of the company’s stock worth $88,000 after purchasing an additional 1,095 shares in the last quarter. Leonteq Securities AG acquired a new position in shares of Yum China in the fourth quarter worth $254,000. IFP Advisors Inc raised its stake in Yum China by 187.5% in the 4th quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 4,911 shares of the company’s stock valued at $234,000 after purchasing an additional 3,203 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Banque Cantonale Vaudoise increased its stake in shares of Yum China by 112.7% during the 4th quarter. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise now owns 28,120 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,343,000 after acquiring an additional 14,900 shares during the last quarter. 85.58% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.