Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) CEO Joey Wat Sells 104,000 Shares of Stock

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) CEO Joey Wat sold 104,000 shares of Yum China stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.18, for a total transaction of $5,738,720.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 433,306 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $23,909,825.08. The trade was a 19.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website.

Joey Wat also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Wednesday, February 11th, Joey Wat sold 4,613 shares of Yum China stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $57.01, for a total value of $262,987.13.

Yum China Stock Performance

Shares of YUMC stock opened at $54.88 on Wednesday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $49.85 and a 200 day moving average price of $46.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 1.32. The stock has a market cap of $19.83 billion, a PE ratio of 21.86, a P/E/G ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.14. Yum China has a 1 year low of $41.00 and a 1 year high of $58.39.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.40 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.35 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $2.82 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.72 billion. Yum China had a return on equity of 14.46% and a net margin of 7.87%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.30 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that Yum China will post 2.54 earnings per share 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. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be given a dividend of $0.29 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 4th. This is an increase from Yum China’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.24. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. Yum China’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 38.25%.

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

YUMC has been the subject of several research reports. 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. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $63.64 price target on shares of Yum China in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Yum China in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $58.50 price objective on shares of Yum China in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Yum China from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $59.05.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Yum China

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Broad Peak Investment Advisers Pte Ltd acquired a new position in Yum China during the 3rd quarter worth $27,679,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its stake in Yum China by 14.3% in the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 4,734,295 shares of the company’s stock worth $203,196,000 after purchasing an additional 591,251 shares in the last quarter. Pictet North America Advisors SA increased its holdings in Yum China by 4.9% in the third quarter. Pictet North America Advisors SA now owns 497,944 shares of the company’s stock valued at $21,299,000 after buying an additional 23,096 shares during the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its stake in Yum China by 14.8% during the third 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. Finally, Magellan Asset Management Ltd bought a new position in Yum China during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $18,482,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.58% of the company’s stock.

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.