Quantbot Technologies LP Buys 140,234 Shares of Yum China $YUMC

Quantbot Technologies LP lifted its stake in shares of Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) by 14,023,400.0% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 140,235 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 140,234 shares during the period. Quantbot Technologies LP’s holdings in Yum China were worth $6,019,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Jackson Grant Investment Advisers Inc. lifted its stake in Yum China by 526.3% in the 3rd quarter. Jackson Grant Investment Advisers Inc. now owns 595 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the last quarter. Quent Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Yum China during the third quarter worth $28,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc lifted its stake in shares of Yum China by 95.6% in the 2nd quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 665 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 325 shares during the last quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Yum China during the 2nd quarter valued at $45,000. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Yum China by 76.3% during the 2nd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,070 shares of the company’s stock valued at $48,000 after acquiring an additional 463 shares in the last quarter. 85.58% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Yum China Price Performance

Shares of NYSE YUMC opened at $54.89 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $19.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.87, a P/E/G ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 0.14. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $51.02 and its 200-day moving average price is $47.17. 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 has a 1-year low of $41.00 and a 1-year high of $58.39.

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

Yum China Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 25th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be issued a dividend of $0.29 per share. This is a positive change from Yum China’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.24. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 4th. Yum China’s dividend payout ratio is presently 38.25%.

Yum China announced that its board has approved a stock repurchase program on Friday, December 12th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to repurchase up to 5.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have issued reports on YUMC. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $58.50 target price on shares of Yum China in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Yum China from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. CLSA reaffirmed 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 reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Yum China in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $63.64 price target on shares of Yum China in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Yum China presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $59.05.

Insider Transactions at Yum China

In other Yum China news, CEO Joey Wat sold 104,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.18, for a total transaction of $5,738,720.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 433,306 shares in the company, valued at approximately $23,909,825.08. The trade was a 19.36% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Xueling Lu sold 23,504 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.84, for a total transaction of $1,312,463.36. Following the transaction, the insider owned 9,042 shares in the company, valued at approximately $504,905.28. The trade was a 72.22% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 135,117 shares of company stock valued at $7,479,590 over the last ninety days. 0.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Yum China 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.