Swedbank AB Lowers Stake in Yum China $YUMC

Swedbank AB cut its stake in Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) by 15.4% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 120,972 shares of the company’s stock after selling 22,100 shares during the quarter. Swedbank AB’s holdings in Yum China were worth $5,192,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in YUMC. Bell Investment Advisors Inc boosted its position in Yum China by 95.6% during the second quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 665 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 325 shares in the last quarter. Marshall & Sullivan Inc. WA bought a new stake in shares of Yum China in the 2nd quarter valued at about $36,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp purchased a new position in shares of Yum China in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $45,000. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB raised its stake in shares of Yum China by 26.7% during the 2nd quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 1,052 shares of the company’s stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 222 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its position in Yum China by 76.3% during the second quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,070 shares of the company’s stock valued at $48,000 after acquiring an additional 463 shares during the last quarter. 85.58% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

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

Yum China Trading Up 0.2%

NYSE YUMC opened at $49.12 on Friday. Yum China has a 12-month low of $41.00 and a 12-month high of $53.99. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $46.50 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $45.45. 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 stock has a market cap of $17.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.38, a P/E/G ratio of 1.82 and a beta of 0.14.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $0.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.76. The firm had revenue of $3.21 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.20 billion. Yum China had a return on equity of 14.08% and a net margin of 7.81%.The firm’s revenue was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.77 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Yum China will post 2.54 earnings per share for the current year.

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

Yum China Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have issued reports on YUMC. 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 target price on shares of Yum China in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $55.00.

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.