Yum China $YUMC Stock Position Raised by Assetmark Inc.

Assetmark Inc. increased its position in Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) by 32.8% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 411,673 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 101,772 shares during the period. Assetmark Inc. owned about 0.11% of Yum China worth $17,669,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of YUMC. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in Yum China by 4.7% during the second quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC now owns 5,106 shares of the company’s stock valued at $228,000 after buying an additional 230 shares during the period. BNP Paribas grew its stake in Yum China by 1.6% during the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas now owns 15,500 shares of the company’s stock valued at $694,000 after acquiring an additional 250 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Yum China by 9.3% in the 3rd quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 3,093 shares of the company’s stock valued at $132,000 after purchasing an additional 263 shares during the period. Everstar Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Yum China by 5.3% in the second quarter. Everstar Asset Management LLC now owns 5,388 shares of the company’s stock worth $241,000 after purchasing an additional 272 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Coldstream Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Yum China by 5.4% in the second quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 5,518 shares of the company’s stock worth $247,000 after purchasing an additional 283 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.58% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Yum China from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $58.50 price objective on shares of Yum China in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. CLSA restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $55.00 target price on shares of Yum China in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $63.64 target price on shares of Yum China in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Yum China in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Yum China currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $59.05.

Insider Buying and Selling at Yum China

In other news, insider Jeff Kuai sold 5,167 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.00, for a total transaction of $248,016.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 56,602 shares in the company, valued at $2,716,896. The trade was a 8.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Warton Wang sold 8,187 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 24th. The shares were 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $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 have sold 25,855 shares of company stock worth $1,306,804 in the last ninety days. 0.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Yum China Trading Up 3.3%

Shares of YUMC stock opened at $55.42 on Friday. Yum China has a 12 month low of $41.00 and a 12 month high of $58.39. The company has a market cap of $20.03 billion, a PE ratio of 22.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.14. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The business’s 50 day moving average is $49.48 and its two-hundred day moving average is $46.49.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 the consensus estimate of $2.72 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.30 EPS. Yum China’s quarterly revenue was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that Yum China will post 2.54 EPS for the current year.

Yum China Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 25th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be paid a $0.29 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 4th. This is a boost 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 2.1%. Yum China’s dividend payout ratio is presently 38.25%.

Yum China declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase plan on Friday, December 12th that allows the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to reacquire up to 5.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is 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.