Korea Investment CORP Has $14.61 Million Stock Position in Yum China $YUMC

Korea Investment CORP lowered its stake in shares of Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) by 3.9% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 333,369 shares of the company’s stock after selling 13,650 shares during the quarter. Korea Investment CORP’s holdings in Yum China were worth $14,611,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Focus Partners Wealth grew its stake in shares of Yum China by 13.8% during the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 21,289 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,108,000 after purchasing an additional 2,582 shares during the last quarter. Strs Ohio bought a new position in Yum China in the 1st quarter worth approximately $99,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp bought a new position in Yum China in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $45,000. Savant Capital LLC lifted its holdings in Yum China by 45.5% during the 2nd quarter. Savant Capital LLC now owns 14,276 shares of the company’s stock worth $638,000 after buying an additional 4,466 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wedbush Securities Inc. acquired a new position in Yum China during the 2nd quarter worth $323,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.58% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Joey Wat sold 104,000 shares of the 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 sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 433,306 shares in the company, valued at $23,909,825.08. This trade represents a 19.36% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Jerry Ding sold 3,000 shares of Yum China stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the insider directly owned 915 shares in the company, valued at $50,453.10. The trade was a 76.63% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 135,117 shares of company stock valued at $7,479,590 in the last ninety days. 0.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings reissued 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 target on shares of Yum China in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. CLSA reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $55.00 price objective on shares of Yum China in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. Wall Street Zen raised Yum China from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $58.50 target price on shares of Yum China in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $59.05.

Yum China Stock Performance

Shares of Yum China stock opened at $52.92 on Thursday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $51.71 and a two-hundred day moving average of $47.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 1.05. The stock has a market capitalization of $18.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.08, a PEG ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 0.11. Yum China has a 52 week low of $41.00 and a 52 week high of $58.39.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.35 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $2.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.72 billion. Yum China had a return on equity of 14.65% and a net margin of 7.87%.The firm’s revenue was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.30 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Yum China will post 2.54 EPS for the current year.

Yum China declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Friday, December 12th that permits the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to buy up to 5.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Yum China Increases Dividend

The business 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. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 4th. This is an increase from Yum China’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.24. Yum China’s dividend payout ratio is presently 46.22%.

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.