3,705,232 Shares in Yum China $YUMC Bought by Mondrian Investment Partners LTD

Mondrian Investment Partners LTD bought a new stake in Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 3,705,232 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $159,431,000. Yum China accounts for 2.7% of Mondrian Investment Partners LTD’s holdings, making the stock its 11th largest position. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD owned approximately 1.02% of Yum China at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Broad Peak Investment Advisers Pte Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Yum China during the third quarter valued at about $27,679,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA raised its stake in Yum China by 14.3% during the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 4,734,295 shares of the company’s stock worth $203,196,000 after buying an additional 591,251 shares during the period. Pictet North America Advisors SA raised its stake in Yum China by 4.9% during the 3rd quarter. Pictet North America Advisors SA now owns 497,944 shares of the company’s stock worth $21,299,000 after buying an additional 23,096 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Yum China by 14.8% in the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 20,169,661 shares of the company’s stock worth $883,687,000 after acquiring an additional 2,604,480 shares in the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in Yum China by 21.5% in the second quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 29,150,667 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,303,326,000 after acquiring an additional 5,164,701 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 85.58% of the company’s stock.

Yum China Stock Up 3.3%

YUMC opened at $55.42 on Tuesday. Yum China has a fifty-two week low of $41.00 and a fifty-two week high of $58.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $20.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.08, a PEG ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.13. The company’s 50-day moving average is $49.67 and its 200 day moving average is $46.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a current ratio of 1.32 and a quick ratio of 1.15.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.35 by $0.05. Yum China had a net margin of 7.87% and a return on equity of 14.46%. The business had revenue of $2.82 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.72 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.30 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that Yum China will post 2.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Yum China Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 25th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be given a dividend of $0.29 per share. 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. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Yum China’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 38.25%.

Yum China announced that its board has approved a share repurchase program on Friday, December 12th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to buy up to 5.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are often a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Yum China

In other news, insider Warton Wang sold 8,187 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the insider directly owned 46,847 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,261,773.16. This trade represents a 14.88% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Joey Wat sold 4,613 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $57.01, for a total transaction of $262,987.13. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 537,306 shares in the company, valued at $30,631,815.06. This trade represents a 0.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 25,855 shares of company stock valued at $1,306,804 in the last ninety days. 0.40% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About Yum China

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.