AlphaQuest LLC Has $2.59 Million Holdings in Yum China $YUMC

AlphaQuest LLC increased its holdings in shares of Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) by 119.3% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 60,442 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 32,879 shares during the period. AlphaQuest LLC’s holdings in Yum China were worth $2,594,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its position in Yum China by 21.5% during the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 29,150,667 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,303,326,000 after buying an additional 5,164,701 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Yum China in the second quarter valued at about $201,814,000. Carrhae Capital LLP bought a new stake in Yum China during the second quarter worth about $48,868,000. Temasek Holdings Private Ltd boosted its position in Yum China by 30.4% during the second quarter. Temasek Holdings Private Ltd now owns 3,721,858 shares of the company’s stock valued at $166,404,000 after purchasing an additional 868,188 shares during the last quarter. Finally, DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale grew its stake in Yum China by 355.1% in the second quarter. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale now owns 1,001,107 shares of the company’s stock valued at $45,280,000 after purchasing an additional 781,117 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 85.58% of the company’s stock.

Yum China Trading Down 2.1%

Shares of Yum China stock opened at $49.43 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a current ratio of 1.32 and a quick ratio of 1.15. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $48.06 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $46.00. Yum China has a 1 year low of $41.00 and a 1 year high of $53.99. The company has a market capitalization of $17.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.51, a P/E/G ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.14.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $0.76 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.76. The company had revenue of $3.21 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.20 billion. Yum China had a net margin of 7.81% and a return on equity of 14.08%. The company’s revenue was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.77 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that Yum China will post 2.54 EPS for the current year.

Yum China Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 23rd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 2nd were given a dividend of $0.24 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 2nd. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. Yum China’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 39.83%.

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. CLSA reiterated an “outperform” rating and set 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. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Yum China currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $55.00.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Warton Wang sold 8,187 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.28, for a total value of $395,268.36. Following the transaction, the insider owned 46,847 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,261,773.16. This represents a 14.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Duoduo (Howard) Huang sold 4,888 shares of Yum China stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the insider directly owned 22,510 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,082,731. The trade was a 17.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 18,242 shares of company stock valued at $878,397. 0.40% of the stock is owned by 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.