Van ECK Associates Corp Buys 20,791 Shares of Yum China $YUMC

Van ECK Associates Corp raised its stake in Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) by 9.0% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 251,527 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 20,791 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp owned about 0.07% of Yum China worth $10,280,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in YUMC. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Yum China by 3.0% in the first quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 22,606,740 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,111,135,000 after acquiring an additional 649,629 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada raised its holdings in Yum China by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 11,135,203 shares of the company’s stock worth $531,593,000 after purchasing an additional 167,868 shares during the last quarter. Dodge & Cox lifted its position in shares of Yum China by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Dodge & Cox now owns 8,553,962 shares of the company’s stock worth $408,366,000 after purchasing an additional 33,100 shares during the period. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD boosted its stake in shares of Yum China by 112.0% in the 4th quarter. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD now owns 7,854,198 shares of the company’s stock valued at $374,959,000 after purchasing an additional 4,148,966 shares during the last quarter. Finally, W1M Asset Management Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Yum China in the 2nd quarter valued at $320,227,000. 85.58% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Yum China Price Performance

Shares of NYSE YUMC opened at $44.88 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $15.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.44, a PEG ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 0.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a current ratio of 0.96. Yum China has a fifty-two week low of $40.15 and a fifty-two week high of $58.39. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $44.99 and its 200 day simple moving average is $47.39.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $0.70 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.67 by $0.03. Yum China had a return on equity of 15.82% and a net margin of 7.84%.The firm had revenue of $3.14 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.05 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.58 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Yum China will post 2.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Yum China Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 17th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 27th will be issued a dividend of $0.29 per share. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 27th. Yum China’s payout ratio is currently 42.49%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on YUMC shares. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Yum China in a research note on Friday, August 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $59.00 price target on shares of Yum China in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Yum China from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, August 17th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $59.21.

Insider Buying and Selling at Yum China

In related news, insider Jeff Kuai sold 14,586 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.72, for a total transaction of $696,043.92. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 63,541 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,032,176.52. The trade was a 18.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Duoduo (Howard) Huang sold 24,096 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.08, for a total transaction of $1,134,439.68. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 7,589 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $357,290.12. The trade was a 76.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 0.44% of the company’s stock.

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.