Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) CEO Joey Wat Sells 104,000 Shares

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) CEO Joey Wat sold 104,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the chief executive officer directly 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 legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link.

Joey Wat also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Wednesday, February 11th, Joey Wat sold 4,613 shares of Yum China stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $57.01, for a total transaction of $262,987.13.

Yum China Stock Up 3.3%

Shares of Yum China stock opened at $55.42 on Tuesday. Yum China has a twelve month low of $41.00 and a twelve month high of $58.39. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The company’s 50 day moving average is $49.67 and its 200 day moving average is $46.55. The company has a market cap of $20.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.13.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.40 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 analyst estimates of $2.72 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.30 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Yum China will post 2.54 EPS for the current year.

Yum China Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 25th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be paid a $0.29 dividend. 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 2.1%. Yum China’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 38.25%.

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

YUMC has been the topic of several analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Yum China in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Wall Street Zen upgraded Yum China from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 7th. CLSA restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $55.00 price target on shares of Yum China in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $58.50 price objective on shares of Yum China in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reiterated 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 issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Yum China presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $59.05.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Yum China

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Ashoka WhiteOak Capital Pte Ltd lifted its holdings in Yum China by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Ashoka WhiteOak Capital Pte Ltd now owns 28,350 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,342,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Glenview Trust Co raised its position in shares of Yum China by 4.3% during the fourth quarter. Glenview Trust Co now owns 4,904 shares of the company’s stock valued at $234,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Truist Financial Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Yum China by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 68,009 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,247,000 after buying an additional 211 shares in the last quarter. Biltmore Family Office LLC boosted its position in shares of Yum China by 3.1% during the fourth quarter. Biltmore Family Office LLC now owns 7,111 shares of the company’s stock worth $339,000 after acquiring an additional 216 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Williams Jones Wealth Management LLC. grew its stake in Yum China by 2.7% during the fourth quarter. Williams Jones Wealth Management LLC. now owns 8,258 shares of the company’s stock valued at $394,000 after acquiring an additional 221 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 85.58% of the company’s stock.

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.