Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) Raised to Buy at Wall Street Zen

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued on Monday.

Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $59.00 price objective on shares of Yum China in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Weiss Ratings cut Yum China from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $59.21.

Yum China Trading Down 0.7%

YUMC opened at $46.82 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The stock has a market capitalization of $16.03 billion, a PE ratio of 17.15, a PEG ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 0.09. Yum China has a 1-year low of $40.15 and a 1-year high of $58.39. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $44.22 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $47.88.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Yum China

In other news, insider Jeff Kuai sold 14,586 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.72, for a total value of $696,043.92. Following the transaction, the insider owned 63,541 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,032,176.52. This represents a 18.67% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.44% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Yum China

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in YUMC. Duncker Streett & Co. Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Yum China during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Main Street Group LTD bought a new position in Yum China during the 1st quarter worth approximately $26,000. Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Yum China during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Ascentis Independent Advisors acquired a new position in Yum China during the first quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, Cresta Advisors Ltd. bought a new stake in Yum China in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Institutional investors own 85.58% of the company’s stock.

About Yum China

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.