Franklin Resources Inc. Buys 30,696 Shares of Yum China $YUMC

Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) by 1.4% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 2,251,242 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 30,696 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc.’s holdings in Yum China were worth $106,782,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Hudson Bay Capital Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Yum China during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $3,944,000. Nordea Investment Management AB grew its holdings in Yum China by 9.1% during the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 1,131,822 shares of the company’s stock worth $54,011,000 after acquiring an additional 94,788 shares during the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in Yum China by 8.9% during the 4th quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 21,957,111 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,039,945,000 after acquiring an additional 1,787,450 shares during the last quarter. Temasek Holdings Private Ltd grew its holdings in Yum China by 25.1% during the 3rd quarter. Temasek Holdings Private Ltd now owns 4,654,717 shares of the company’s stock worth $199,780,000 after acquiring an additional 932,859 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Centiva Capital LP bought a new stake in shares of Yum China in the third quarter worth $1,216,000. 85.58% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Yum China Stock Performance

NYSE YUMC opened at $43.90 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $15.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.82, a PEG ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 0.09. Yum China has a twelve month low of $41.69 and a twelve month high of $58.39. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $46.73 and a 200 day simple moving average of $49.18. The company has a quick ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $0.87 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.87. Yum China had a net margin of 7.83% and a return on equity of 15.11%. The company had revenue of $3.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.21 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.77 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts expect that Yum China will post 2.95 EPS for the current year.

Yum China Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 17th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 27th will be paid a $0.29 dividend. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 27th. Yum China’s dividend payout ratio is currently 44.44%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently weighed in on YUMC. Wall Street Zen downgraded Yum China from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday. Weiss Ratings downgraded Yum China from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $59.05.

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.