BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S Makes New Investment in Yum China $YUMC

BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S bought a new position in shares of Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 14,263 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $612,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of YUMC. Quent Capital LLC purchased a new position in Yum China in the third quarter worth $28,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc raised its stake in shares of Yum China by 95.6% during the 2nd quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 665 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 325 shares during the period. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp purchased a new position in shares of Yum China in the 2nd quarter worth about $45,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its position in Yum China by 76.3% during the second quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,070 shares of the company’s stock valued at $48,000 after buying an additional 463 shares during the period. Finally, Caldwell Trust Co purchased a new stake in Yum China during the second quarter worth about $56,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.58% of the company’s stock.

Yum China Stock Down 0.4%

Shares of NYSE:YUMC opened at $57.70 on Tuesday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $48.80 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $46.24. The company has a market cap of $20.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.99, a PEG ratio of 1.65 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 one year low of $41.00 and a one year high of $58.39.

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 return on equity of 14.46% and a net margin of 7.87%.The company had revenue of $2.82 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.72 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.30 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that Yum China will post 2.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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 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 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 4th. Yum China’s payout ratio is 38.25%.

Yum China declared that its board has initiated a share repurchase program on Friday, December 12th that permits the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to repurchase up to 5.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

YUMC has been the subject of a number of research reports. Jefferies Financial Group reissued 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 price objective on shares of Yum China in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. CLSA restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $55.00 target price on shares of Yum China in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Yum China in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Yum China from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $59.05.

Insider Activity at Yum China

In other news, insider Jeff Kuai sold 5,167 shares of Yum China stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.00, for a total transaction of $248,016.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 56,602 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,716,896. The trade was a 8.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Jerry Ding sold 3,000 shares of the company’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 completion of 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. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 21,242 shares of company stock valued at $1,043,817. Company insiders own 0.40% of the company’s stock.

Yum China 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.