Todd Asset Management LLC Purchases 46,499 Shares of Yum China $YUMC

Todd Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) by 5.8% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 841,526 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 46,499 shares during the period. Todd Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Yum China were worth $36,119,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in Yum China by 4.7% during the 2nd quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC now owns 5,106 shares of the company’s stock valued at $228,000 after purchasing an additional 230 shares during the period. BNP Paribas increased its holdings in Yum China by 1.6% during the second quarter. BNP Paribas now owns 15,500 shares of the company’s stock valued at $694,000 after buying an additional 250 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc. raised 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 worth $132,000 after buying an additional 263 shares in the last quarter. Everstar Asset Management LLC raised its stake in Yum China by 5.3% in the second quarter. Everstar Asset Management LLC now owns 5,388 shares of the company’s stock worth $241,000 after buying an additional 272 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Coldstream Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Yum China by 5.4% during the second quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 5,518 shares of the company’s stock worth $247,000 after buying an additional 283 shares during the period. 85.58% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Yum China Stock Performance

YUMC opened at $55.42 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $20.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.13. 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’s 50-day moving average price is $49.48 and its 200-day moving average price is $46.49. Yum China has a 52-week low of $41.00 and a 52-week high of $58.39.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.40 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.35 by $0.05. Yum China had a net margin of 7.87% and a return on equity of 14.46%. The company had revenue of $2.82 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.72 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.30 EPS. Yum China’s revenue was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Yum China will post 2.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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

Yum China Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 25th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be given a $0.29 dividend. 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. This is a positive change from Yum China’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.24. Yum China’s payout ratio is currently 38.25%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Yum China news, insider Jeff Kuai sold 5,167 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.00, for a total transaction of $248,016.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 56,602 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,716,896. The trade was a 8.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Joey Wat sold 4,613 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $57.01, for a total value of $262,987.13. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 537,306 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $30,631,815.06. The trade was a 0.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 25,855 shares of company stock worth $1,306,804 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.40% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

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.