Citigroup Inc. Has $15.06 Million Stake in Yum China $YUMC

Citigroup Inc. raised its position in shares of Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) by 40.8% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 350,834 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 101,676 shares during the quarter. Citigroup Inc.’s holdings in Yum China were worth $15,058,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Jackson Grant Investment Advisers Inc. boosted 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 valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the period. Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Yum China during the third quarter worth approximately $598,000. Wealth Alliance LLC bought a new stake in shares of Yum China in the third quarter valued at approximately $265,000. Comgest Global Investors S.A.S. grew its stake in shares of Yum China by 5.5% in the third quarter. Comgest Global Investors S.A.S. now owns 214,614 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,211,000 after acquiring an additional 11,158 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Maridea Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Yum China by 21.1% during the third quarter. Maridea Wealth Management LLC now owns 13,023 shares of the company’s stock worth $584,000 after acquiring an additional 2,267 shares during the period. 85.58% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Yum China

In related news, CEO Joey Wat sold 104,000 shares of Yum China stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.18, for a total transaction 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 $23,909,825.08. This trade represents a 19.36% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Jerry Ding sold 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.14, for a total transaction of $165,420.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 915 shares in the company, valued at $50,453.10. This represents a 76.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders sold 135,117 shares of company stock valued at $7,479,590. 0.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Yum China Stock Performance

NYSE:YUMC opened at $54.89 on Friday. Yum China has a 12-month low of $41.00 and a 12-month high of $58.39. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $19.84 billion, a PE ratio of 21.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.14. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $51.02 and a 200 day moving average price of $47.15.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.40 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 period in the previous year, the business earned $0.30 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts anticipate that Yum China will post 2.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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

Yum China Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 25th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be paid a dividend of $0.29 per share. This is an increase from Yum China’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.24. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 4th. Yum China’s dividend payout ratio is currently 38.25%.

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.