Rhumbline Advisers Lowers Stake in Yum China $YUMC

Rhumbline Advisers cut its holdings in Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) by 18.2% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 197,280 shares of the company’s stock after selling 43,788 shares during the quarter. Rhumbline Advisers owned about 0.05% of Yum China worth $8,467,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in YUMC. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its position in Yum China by 21.5% in the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 29,150,667 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,303,326,000 after acquiring an additional 5,164,701 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew 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 valued at $883,687,000 after purchasing an additional 2,604,480 shares during the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. increased its holdings in shares of Yum China by 13.1% in the second quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 5,871,382 shares of the company’s stock valued at $262,509,000 after purchasing an additional 677,928 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA raised its stake in shares of Yum China by 14.3% during 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 during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Yum China during the second quarter worth $201,814,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.58% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Yum China

In related news, insider Warton Wang sold 8,187 shares of the business’s 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 sale, the insider directly owned 46,847 shares in the company, valued at $2,261,773.16. The trade was a 14.88% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, 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 transaction of $165,420.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 915 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $50,453.10. This trade represents a 76.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 124,688 shares of company stock worth $6,797,508. Corporate insiders own 0.40% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Trending Headlines about Yum China

Here are the key news stories impacting Yum China this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised several near‑ and medium‑term EPS forecasts (including FY2026, FY2027 and FY2028 and multiple quarterly tweaks), lifting FY2027/28 outlook and signaling stronger earnings power ahead; that supports a longer‑term growth thesis. Zacks/MarketBeat research roundup
• Positive Sentiment: Recent reported quarter beat consensus on both EPS and revenue (reported in early Feb), showing revenue growth and margin resilience despite competitive pressure — a fundamental positive for earnings momentum. Y! Finance: Beats Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Yahoo Finance ran a restaurant‑stock roundup (“1 Restaurant Stock to Own for Decades and 2 We Turn Down”) that revisits sector positioning — coverage can influence sentiment/flows but didn’t introduce company‑specific catalyst beyond reiterating industry risks and long‑term winners. Y! Finance: Restaurant roundup
• Negative Sentiment: Insider sale: CEO Joey Wat sold 104,000 shares, a transaction that often spooks short‑term holders even if the sale is routine for diversification/tax reasons — contributed to intraday selling pressure. American Banking News: Insider sale

Yum China Trading Down 2.0%

Shares of Yum China stock opened at $53.54 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $50.25 and a two-hundred day moving average of $46.79. Yum China has a 12-month low of $41.00 and a 12-month high of $58.39. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The stock has a market cap of $19.35 billion, a PE ratio of 21.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.14.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) last released its quarterly earnings results 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. The business had revenue of $2.82 billion for 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 company’s revenue was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.30 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Yum China will post 2.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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

Yum China Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 25th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be given a $0.29 dividend. 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 dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 4th. Yum China’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 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.