Comgest Global Investors S.A.S. Raises Position in Yum China $YUMC

Comgest Global Investors S.A.S. lifted its holdings in Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) by 5.5% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 214,614 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 11,158 shares during the quarter. Comgest Global Investors S.A.S.’s holdings in Yum China were worth $9,211,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Quent Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Yum China in the third quarter worth about $28,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc increased its holdings in shares of Yum China by 95.6% during the second quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 665 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 325 shares in the last quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp purchased a new position in shares of Yum China in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $45,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its stake in Yum China by 76.3% in the 2nd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,070 shares of the company’s stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 463 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Caldwell Trust Co acquired a new stake in Yum China in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $56,000. 85.58% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Yum China Price Performance

NYSE:YUMC opened at $55.33 on Thursday. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $50.01 and its two-hundred day moving average is $46.67. The firm has a market cap of $20.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.04, a PEG ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 0.14. 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.

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

Yum China announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase plan on Friday, December 12th that allows the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to repurchase up to 5.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually an indication that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Yum China Increases Dividend

The company 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 dividend of $0.29 per share. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 4th. This is a positive change from Yum China’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.24. Yum China’s dividend payout ratio is 38.25%.

Insider Activity

In other Yum China news, insider Jerry Ding sold 3,000 shares of Yum China stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.14, for a total value of $165,420.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 915 shares of the company’s stock, 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 filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Warton Wang sold 8,187 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.28, for a total transaction of $395,268.36. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 46,847 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,261,773.16. The trade was a 14.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 124,688 shares of company stock valued at $6,797,508 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.40% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

YUMC has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. CLSA restated an “outperform” rating and set a $55.00 price target on shares of Yum China in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. Wall Street Zen raised Yum China from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 7th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $63.64 target price on shares of Yum China in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $58.50 price target on shares of Yum China in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Yum China in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Yum China currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price 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.