London & Capital Asset Management Ltd Raises Stock Holdings in Yum China $YUMC

London & Capital Asset Management Ltd raised its position in Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) by 22.9% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 902,559 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 168,004 shares during the quarter. Yum China makes up 2.8% of London & Capital Asset Management Ltd’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th largest position. London & Capital Asset Management Ltd’s holdings in Yum China were worth $38,736,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Jackson Grant Investment Advisers Inc. raised its holdings in Yum China by 526.3% in the 3rd quarter. Jackson Grant Investment Advisers Inc. now owns 595 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. Quent Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Yum China in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc boosted its position 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 purchasing an additional 325 shares in the last quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp bought a new stake in shares of Yum China during the second quarter valued at approximately $45,000. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its stake in Yum China by 76.3% in the second quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,070 shares of the company’s stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 463 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 85.58% of the company’s stock.

Yum China Stock Down 1.1%

Yum China stock opened at $54.89 on Monday. Yum China has a 12 month low of $41.00 and a 12 month high of $58.39. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $51.02 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $47.18. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The firm has a market cap of $19.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.87, a PEG ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 0.11.

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

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

Yum China Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 25th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be issued 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 boost from Yum China’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.24. Yum China’s payout ratio is 38.25%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Joey Wat sold 104,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.18, for a total value of $5,738,720.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 433,306 shares in the company, valued at approximately $23,909,825.08. This trade represents a 19.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Jerry Ding sold 3,000 shares of Yum China stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the insider directly owned 915 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $50,453.10. This trade represents a 76.63% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 135,117 shares of company stock valued at $7,479,590 in the last 90 days. 0.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

YUMC has been the subject of several recent research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $58.50 price objective on shares of Yum China in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $63.64 price target on shares of Yum China in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Yum China in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. CLSA restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $55.00 price objective on shares of Yum China in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Yum China from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Yum China presently 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.