Key Points
- CEO Joey Wat sold 104,000 shares on Feb. 13 at an average $55.18 for proceeds of $5.74 million, trimming her stake ~19.4% to 433,306 shares (≈$23.9M).
- Yum China is boosting shareholder returns—the quarterly dividend was raised to $0.29 (from $0.24, $1.16 annualized, 2.1% yield; ex-dividend Mar. 4) and the board authorized a $1.0 billion share repurchase plan (up to ~5.8% of shares).
- Recent results and analyst outlook: Yum China beat Q earnings and revenue (EPS $0.40 vs. $0.35 estimate; revenue $2.82B vs. $2.72B, +8.8% YoY), and analysts carry a consensus "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $59.05.
Yum China (NYSE:YUMC - Get Free Report) CEO Joey Wat sold 104,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.18, for a total transaction of $5,738,720.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 433,306 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $23,909,825.08. The trade was a 19.36% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.
Joey Wat also recently made the following trade(s):
- On Wednesday, February 11th, Joey Wat sold 4,613 shares of Yum China stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $57.01, for a total transaction of $262,987.13.
Yum China Price Performance
Shares of NYSE:YUMC opened at $54.88 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $19.83 billion, a PE ratio of 21.86, a P/E/G ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.14. Yum China has a fifty-two week low of $41.00 and a fifty-two week high of $58.39. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $49.85 and a 200 day simple moving average of $46.61. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01.
Yum China (NYSE:YUMC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.40 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.35 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $2.82 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.72 billion. Yum China had a return on equity of 14.46% and a net margin of 7.87%.Yum China's quarterly revenue was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.30 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Yum China will post 2.54 EPS for the current year.
Yum China Increases Dividend
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 25th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be given a $0.29 dividend. This is a boost from Yum China's previous quarterly dividend of $0.24. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 4th. Yum China's dividend payout ratio is 38.25%.
Yum China announced that its board has initiated a share repurchase plan 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 stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Yum China
Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Broad Peak Investment Advisers Pte Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Yum China in the 3rd quarter worth $27,679,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its holdings in Yum China by 14.3% during the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 4,734,295 shares of the company's stock worth $203,196,000 after acquiring an additional 591,251 shares during the period. Pictet North America Advisors SA raised its position in Yum China by 4.9% in the third quarter. Pictet North America Advisors SA now owns 497,944 shares of the company's stock worth $21,299,000 after acquiring an additional 23,096 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Yum China by 14.8% in the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 20,169,661 shares of the company's stock valued at $883,687,000 after acquiring an additional 2,604,480 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Magellan Asset Management Ltd bought a new position in shares of Yum China during the 2nd quarter valued at about $18,482,000. Institutional investors own 85.58% of the company's stock.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. CLSA reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $55.00 price objective on shares of Yum China in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Yum China from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, February 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $58.50 price target on shares of Yum China in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $63.64 price objective on shares of Yum China in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Yum China in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Three 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.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $59.05.
Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on YUMC
About Yum China
(
Get Free Report)
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.
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