Yum China $YUMC Shares Sold by GUARDCAP ASSET MANAGEMENT Ltd

GUARDCAP ASSET MANAGEMENT Ltd reduced its stake in Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) by 6.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 8,796,889 shares of the company’s stock after selling 599,850 shares during the quarter. Yum China accounts for 8.8% of GUARDCAP ASSET MANAGEMENT Ltd’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 4th biggest holding. GUARDCAP ASSET MANAGEMENT Ltd owned about 2.42% of Yum China worth $377,562,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Quent Capital LLC purchased a new position in Yum China in the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc raised its position in Yum China by 95.6% during the 2nd quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 665 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 325 shares during the last quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Yum China in the 2nd quarter worth $45,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Yum China by 76.3% in the 2nd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,070 shares of the company’s stock worth $48,000 after acquiring an additional 463 shares during the period. Finally, Caldwell Trust Co purchased a new stake in shares of Yum China in the second quarter valued at about $56,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.58% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Insider Transactions at Yum China

In other news, insider Warton Wang sold 8,187 shares of the 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 owned 46,847 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,261,773.16. This represents a 14.88% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Duoduo (Howard) Huang sold 4,888 shares of Yum China stock in a transaction on Monday, November 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.10, for a total value of $235,112.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 22,510 shares in the company, valued at $1,082,731. The trade was a 17.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 21,242 shares of company stock valued at $1,043,817 in the last three months. 0.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Yum China Stock Down 0.4%

Shares of Yum China stock opened at $57.70 on Tuesday. 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 capitalization of $20.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.99, a PEG ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 0.13. Yum China has a twelve month low of $41.00 and a twelve month high of $58.39. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $48.80 and its 200-day simple moving average is $46.24.

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. The business had revenue of $2.82 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.72 billion. Yum China had a return on equity of 14.46% and a net margin of 7.87%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.30 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Yum China will post 2.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Yum China Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 25th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be issued a dividend of $0.29 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 4th. This is an increase from Yum China’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.24. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. Yum China’s dividend payout ratio is presently 38.25%.

Yum China declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback 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 generally a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

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.