Yum China $YUMC Position Reduced by Canada Post Corp Registered Pension Plan

Canada Post Corp Registered Pension Plan lowered its stake in Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) by 16.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 46,102 shares of the company’s stock after selling 8,876 shares during the period. Canada Post Corp Registered Pension Plan’s holdings in Yum China were worth $2,011,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of YUMC. US Bancorp DE lifted its holdings in shares of Yum China by 21.7% in the 2nd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 32,088 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,435,000 after purchasing an additional 5,723 shares during the last quarter. Broad Peak Investment Advisers Pte Ltd acquired a new stake in Yum China in the third quarter worth $27,679,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lifted its stake in Yum China by 14.3% in the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 4,734,295 shares of the company’s stock valued at $203,196,000 after buying an additional 591,251 shares during the last quarter. Pictet North America Advisors SA boosted its holdings in shares of Yum China by 4.9% during the third quarter. Pictet North America Advisors SA now owns 497,944 shares of the company’s stock valued at $21,299,000 after acquiring an additional 23,096 shares during the period. Finally, Nordea Investment Management AB grew its position in shares of Yum China by 1.6% during the second quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 1,026,244 shares of the company’s stock worth $45,740,000 after acquiring an additional 15,896 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 85.58% of the company’s stock.

Yum China Stock Up 4.0%

YUMC stock opened at $57.87 on Friday. Yum China has a 52 week low of $41.00 and a 52 week high of $58.39. The company has a market capitalization of $20.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 0.14. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $48.61 and its two-hundred day moving average is $46.20. 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 posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 analysts’ expectations of $2.72 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.30 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts forecast that Yum China will post 2.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Yum China Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 25th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be given a dividend of $0.29 per share. This is a boost from Yum China’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.24. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 4th. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. Yum China’s payout ratio is 38.25%.

Yum China announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback program on Friday, December 12th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to purchase up to 5.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Insider Transactions at Yum China

In related news, insider Jerry Ding sold 3,000 shares of Yum China stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.14, for a total transaction of $165,420.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 915 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $50,453.10. The trade was a 76.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Jeff Kuai sold 5,167 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.00, for a total transaction of $248,016.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 56,602 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,716,896. The trade was a 8.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 21,242 shares of company stock worth $1,043,817 over the last 90 days. 0.40% of the stock is currently 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.