Fox Run Management L.L.C. Raises Stock Holdings in Yum China $YUMC

Fox Run Management L.L.C. lifted its stake in Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) by 170.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 35,701 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 22,506 shares during the quarter. Fox Run Management L.L.C.’s holdings in Yum China were worth $1,532,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in YUMC. Jackson Grant Investment Advisers Inc. raised its stake in Yum China by 526.3% during the 3rd quarter. Jackson Grant Investment Advisers Inc. now owns 595 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 500 shares during the period. Quent Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Yum China in the third quarter worth approximately $28,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc increased its stake in shares of Yum China by 95.6% in the second quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 665 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 325 shares in the last quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp bought a new stake in shares of Yum China during the 2nd quarter valued at $45,000. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its stake in Yum China by 76.3% in the 2nd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,070 shares of the company’s stock worth $48,000 after buying an additional 463 shares in the last quarter. 85.58% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on YUMC shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Yum China in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $63.64 price objective on shares of Yum China in a report on Thursday, February 5th. CLSA reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $55.00 price target on shares of Yum China in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $58.50 target price on shares of Yum China in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Yum China from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned 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 target price of $59.05.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Jerry Ding sold 3,000 shares of the company’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 directly owned 915 shares in the company, valued at approximately $50,453.10. This represents a 76.63% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Joey Wat sold 104,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.18, for a total value of $5,738,720.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 433,306 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $23,909,825.08. This trade represents a 19.36% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 111,613 shares of company stock valued at $6,167,127 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.40% of the company’s stock.

Yum China Stock Up 1.4%

Shares of NYSE:YUMC opened at $55.98 on Wednesday. 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 company has a 50-day moving average price of $50.57 and a 200 day moving average price of $46.95. The company has a market cap of $20.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.30, a PEG ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 0.14.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.40 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 firm had revenue of $2.82 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.72 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.30 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Yum China will post 2.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Yum China Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 25th. Stockholders 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 4th. Yum China’s payout ratio is currently 38.25%.

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

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.