Jerry Ding Sells 3,000 Shares of Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) Stock

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) insider Jerry Ding sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.14, for a total transaction of $165,420.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 915 shares in the company, valued at approximately $50,453.10. The trade was a 76.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website.

Yum China Trading Up 4.0%

NYSE YUMC opened at $57.87 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 1.32. Yum China has a one year low of $41.00 and a one year high of $58.39. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $48.61 and a 200-day simple moving average of $46.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $20.92 billion, a PE ratio of 23.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 0.14.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.35 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $2.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.72 billion. Yum China had a net margin of 7.87% and a return on equity of 14.46%. Yum China’s revenue was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.30 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Yum China will post 2.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Yum China Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 25th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be paid a dividend of $0.29 per share. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 4th. This is an increase from Yum China’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.24. Yum China’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 38.25%.

Yum China announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback program on Friday, December 12th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to repurchase up to 5.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Yum China in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. CLSA reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $55.00 price objective on shares of Yum China in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $58.50 price objective on shares of Yum China in a report on Wednesday. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $63.64 target price on shares of Yum China in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Yum China from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Yum China has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $59.05.

Institutional Trading of Yum China

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Yum China by 36.7% during the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,349 shares of the company’s stock valued at $112,000 after buying an additional 631 shares in the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC grew its stake in Yum China by 146.6% during the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 1,842 shares of the company’s stock valued at $88,000 after acquiring an additional 1,095 shares in the last quarter. Leonteq Securities AG acquired a new position in shares of Yum China in the 4th quarter valued at about $254,000. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its position in shares of Yum China by 187.5% in the fourth quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 4,911 shares of the company’s stock worth $234,000 after purchasing an additional 3,203 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Banque Cantonale Vaudoise grew its position in Yum China by 112.7% during the fourth quarter. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise now owns 28,120 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,343,000 after purchasing an additional 14,900 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other 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.