Inspire Investing LLC Purchases Shares of 24,334 Yum China $YUMC

Inspire Investing LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 24,334 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,044,000.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB grew its holdings in Yum China by 26.7% during the 2nd quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 1,052 shares of the company’s stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 222 shares in the last quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Yum China by 4.7% in the second 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 in the last quarter. BNP Paribas increased its position in Yum China by 1.6% in the second quarter. BNP Paribas now owns 15,500 shares of the company’s stock worth $694,000 after purchasing an additional 250 shares during the last quarter. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC raised its stake in Yum China by 5.0% during the first quarter. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 5,555 shares of the company’s stock valued at $289,000 after purchasing an additional 263 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Everstar Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Yum China by 5.3% during the second quarter. Everstar Asset Management LLC now owns 5,388 shares of the company’s stock valued at $241,000 after purchasing an additional 272 shares during the last quarter. 85.58% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Yum China Price Performance

YUMC stock opened at $49.12 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $17.75 billion, a PE ratio of 20.38, a P/E/G ratio of 1.82 and a beta of 0.14. Yum China has a 12 month low of $41.00 and a 12 month high of $53.99. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $46.50 and a 200 day moving average price of $45.44. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $0.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.76. The business had revenue of $3.21 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.20 billion. Yum China had a net margin of 7.81% and a return on equity of 14.08%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.77 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that Yum China will post 2.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Yum China Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 23rd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 2nd were paid a $0.24 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 2nd. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. Yum China’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.83%.

Yum China announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback plan on Friday, December 12th that permits the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to purchase up to 5.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are often an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Yum China in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. CLSA restated an “outperform” rating and set a $55.00 price objective on shares of Yum China in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $55.00.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Duoduo (Howard) Huang sold 4,888 shares of Yum China stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.10, for a total transaction of $235,112.80. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 22,510 shares in the company, valued at $1,082,731. This trade represents a 17.84% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Warton Wang sold 8,187 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.28, for a total transaction of $395,268.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 46,847 shares in the company, valued at $2,261,773.16. This represents a 14.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 18,242 shares of company stock valued at $878,397. 0.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.