Yum China $YUMC Shares Sold by Matthews International Capital Management LLC

Matthews International Capital Management LLC decreased its position in Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) by 3.9% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 311,290 shares of the company’s stock after selling 12,676 shares during the quarter. Yum China comprises 3.1% of Matthews International Capital Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 13th largest holding. Matthews International Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Yum China were worth $13,361,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Highland Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Yum China by 6.7% in the third quarter. Highland Capital Management LLC now owns 18,250 shares of the company’s stock valued at $783,000 after buying an additional 1,150 shares in the last quarter. Inspire Investing LLC acquired a new position in Yum China during the 3rd quarter worth about $1,044,000. Private Trust Co. NA boosted its holdings in Yum China by 797.2% during the 3rd quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 4,226 shares of the company’s stock valued at $181,000 after acquiring an additional 3,755 shares during the period. Vontobel Holding Ltd. grew its position in Yum China by 6.5% in the 3rd quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 1,444,892 shares of the company’s stock valued at $62,015,000 after acquiring an additional 87,583 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Confluence Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Yum China during the third quarter worth about $233,000. 85.58% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

YUMC has been the subject of several recent research reports. CLSA reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $55.00 price objective on shares of Yum China in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Yum China in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $55.00.

Insider Transactions at Yum China

In other Yum China news, insider Warton Wang sold 8,187 shares of Yum China 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 sale, the insider directly owned 46,847 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,261,773.16. The trade was a 14.88% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, insider Jeff Kuai sold 5,167 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.00, for a total value of $248,016.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 56,602 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,716,896. This represents a 8.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders sold 18,242 shares of company stock valued at $878,397. Insiders own 0.40% of the company’s stock.

Yum China Stock Performance

Shares of Yum China stock opened at $49.12 on Friday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $46.50 and a 200-day simple moving average of $45.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 1.32. Yum China has a one year low of $41.00 and a one year high of $53.99. The company 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 (NYSE:YUMC) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $0.76 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.76. Yum China had a net margin of 7.81% and a return on equity of 14.08%. The firm had revenue of $3.21 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.20 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.77 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Yum China will post 2.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Yum China Dividend Announcement

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

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

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.