APG Asset Management N.V. Boosts Stock Position in Yum China $YUMC

APG Asset Management N.V. raised its stake in Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) by 160.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 197,209 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 121,450 shares during the quarter. APG Asset Management N.V. owned 0.05% of Yum China worth $8,464,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Yum China by 21.5% during the second quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 29,150,667 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,303,326,000 after purchasing an additional 5,164,701 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Yum China in the 2nd quarter valued at $201,814,000. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD purchased a new position in Yum China during the 3rd quarter worth $159,431,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Yum China by 14.8% in the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 20,169,661 shares of the company’s stock worth $883,687,000 after acquiring an additional 2,604,480 shares during the period. Finally, Temasek Holdings Private Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of Yum China by 30.4% in the second quarter. Temasek Holdings Private Ltd now owns 3,721,858 shares of the company’s stock valued at $166,404,000 after acquiring an additional 868,188 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.58% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Yum China

In other Yum China news, insider Xueling Lu sold 23,504 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.84, for a total transaction of $1,312,463.36. Following the sale, the insider owned 9,042 shares in the company, valued at approximately $504,905.28. This represents a 72.22% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Joey Wat sold 104,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.18, for a total value of $5,738,720.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 433,306 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $23,909,825.08. This trade represents a 19.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 135,117 shares of company stock valued at $7,479,590. 0.40% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Yum China Trading Down 2.2%

Shares of YUMC stock opened at $52.31 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $18.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.84, a P/E/G ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 0.11. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. Yum China has a fifty-two week low of $41.00 and a fifty-two week high of $58.39. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $51.19 and a 200-day simple moving average of $47.29.

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

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

Yum China Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 25th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be paid a $0.29 dividend. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 4th. This is an increase from Yum China’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.24. Yum China’s dividend payout ratio is currently 38.25%.

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.