W1M Asset Management Ltd Takes $320.23 Million Position in Yum China $YUMC

W1M Asset Management Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 7,838,137 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $320,227,000. Yum China accounts for approximately 2.9% of W1M Asset Management Ltd’s portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest holding.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Yum China in the fourth quarter worth about $280,656,000. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD boosted its stake in Yum China by 112.0% during the 4th quarter. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD now owns 7,854,198 shares of the company’s stock valued at $374,959,000 after purchasing an additional 4,148,966 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new stake in Yum China in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $146,826,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its position in Yum China by 8.9% in the 4th quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 21,957,111 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,039,945,000 after buying an additional 1,787,450 shares during the period. Finally, Alberta Investment Management Corp bought a new position in Yum China in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $53,131,000. 85.58% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Yum China Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:YUMC opened at $49.47 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $16.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 0.09. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $44.50 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $47.87. Yum China has a fifty-two week low of $40.15 and a fifty-two week high of $58.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a current ratio of 0.96 and a quick ratio of 0.78.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $0.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.67 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $3.14 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.05 billion. Yum China had a net margin of 7.84% and a return on equity of 15.82%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 12.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.58 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Yum China will post 2.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Yum China Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 17th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 27th will be issued a $0.29 dividend. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 27th. Yum China’s payout ratio is currently 42.49%.

Insider Transactions at Yum China

In other news, insider Duoduo (Howard) Huang sold 24,096 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.08, for a total transaction of $1,134,439.68. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 7,589 shares in the company, valued at approximately $357,290.12. This represents a 76.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Jeff Kuai sold 14,586 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.72, for a total transaction of $696,043.92. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 63,541 shares in the company, valued at $3,032,176.52. This trade represents a 18.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.44% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on YUMC shares. Wall Street Zen raised Yum China from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, August 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $59.00 price objective on shares of Yum China in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut 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 given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $59.21.

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.