Envestnet Asset Management Inc. Grows Position in Yum China $YUMC

Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) by 12.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 354,089 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 39,572 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. owned approximately 0.10% of Yum China worth $15,198,000 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. Van Berkom & Associates Inc. raised its stake in Yum China by 11.0% during the third quarter. Van Berkom & Associates Inc. now owns 23,800 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,043,000 after purchasing an additional 2,350 shares in the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its holdings in shares of Yum China by 17.1% in the 3rd quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 24,252 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,049,000 after buying an additional 3,546 shares during the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Yum China by 14.8% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 20,169,661 shares of the company’s stock valued at $883,687,000 after buying an additional 2,604,480 shares in the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans bought a new position in shares of Yum China in the 3rd quarter valued at about $4,249,000. Finally, Lingohr Asset Management GmbH bought a new position in shares of Yum China in the 3rd quarter valued at about $258,000. 85.58% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Yum China Price Performance

Yum China stock opened at $55.42 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $20.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.13. 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 firm has a 50-day moving average of $49.48 and a two-hundred day moving average of $46.49.

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

Yum China Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 25th. Shareholders 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. This is a positive change from Yum China’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.24. Yum China’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 38.25%.

Yum China announced that its board has authorized a share repurchase program on Friday, December 12th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to reacquire up to 5.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have issued reports on YUMC. CLSA restated an “outperform” rating and set a $55.00 price objective on shares of Yum China in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. Wall Street Zen raised Yum China from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 7th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $63.64 price target on shares of Yum China in a research 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. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $58.50 target price on shares of Yum China in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $59.05.

Insider Buying and Selling at Yum China

In other news, insider Jerry Ding sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.14, for a total transaction of $165,420.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 915 shares in the company, valued at approximately $50,453.10. This trade represents a 76.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Warton Wang sold 8,187 shares of Yum China stock in a transaction dated 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 owned 46,847 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,261,773.16. The trade was a 14.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 25,855 shares of company stock worth $1,306,804. Insiders own 0.40% of the company’s stock.

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.