Alliancebernstein L.P. Sells 1,070,589 Shares of Yum China $YUMC

Alliancebernstein L.P. cut its stake in Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) by 18.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 4,800,793 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,070,589 shares during the period. Alliancebernstein L.P. owned 1.33% of Yum China worth $206,050,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in YUMC. CreativeOne Wealth LLC lifted its stake in shares of Yum China by 2.9% in the 3rd quarter. CreativeOne Wealth LLC now owns 8,261 shares of the company’s stock valued at $355,000 after purchasing an additional 235 shares during the period. BNP Paribas increased its stake in Yum China by 1.6% in the second quarter. BNP Paribas now owns 15,500 shares of the company’s stock valued at $694,000 after purchasing an additional 250 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its stake in Yum China by 9.3% in the third quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 3,093 shares of the company’s stock valued at $132,000 after purchasing an additional 263 shares in the last quarter. Everstar Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Yum China by 5.3% during the second quarter. Everstar Asset Management LLC now owns 5,388 shares of the company’s stock valued at $241,000 after purchasing an additional 272 shares during the period. Finally, Coldstream Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Yum China by 5.4% during the second quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 5,518 shares of the company’s stock valued at $247,000 after purchasing an additional 283 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.58% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Yum China

In related news, 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 completion of the sale, 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Xueling Lu sold 23,504 shares of Yum China stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 9,042 shares in the company, valued at approximately $504,905.28. This represents a 72.22% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 135,117 shares of company stock worth $7,479,590. 0.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently commented on YUMC. CLSA restated an “outperform” rating and set a $55.00 price objective on shares of Yum China in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Yum China from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 7th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Yum China in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $63.64 price objective on shares of Yum China in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $58.50 price target on shares of Yum China in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Three 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, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $59.05.

Yum China Stock Up 2.6%

YUMC opened at $54.08 on Tuesday. Yum China has a fifty-two week low of $41.00 and a fifty-two week high of $58.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $19.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.54, a PEG ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 0.11. The company’s 50-day moving average is $52.04 and its 200 day moving average is $47.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a current ratio of 1.05 and a quick ratio of 0.85.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.35 by $0.05. Yum China had a net margin of 7.87% and a return on equity of 14.65%. 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 posted $0.30 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that Yum China will post 2.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Yum China announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase program on Friday, December 12th that permits the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to reacquire up to 5.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are often an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Yum China Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 25th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be given a dividend of $0.29 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 4th. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. This is a boost from Yum China’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.24. Yum China’s payout ratio is 46.22%.

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.