Yum China $YUMC Shares Sold by Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc.

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. trimmed its position in Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) by 22.9% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 648,597 shares of the company’s stock after selling 192,292 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc.’s holdings in Yum China were worth $27,838,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of YUMC. US Bancorp DE grew its stake in shares of Yum China by 21.7% during the 2nd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 32,088 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,435,000 after purchasing an additional 5,723 shares during the period. Nordea Investment Management AB lifted its stake in shares of Yum China by 1.6% in the second quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 1,026,244 shares of the company’s stock valued at $45,740,000 after purchasing an additional 15,896 shares during the period. Ninety One UK Ltd purchased a new stake in Yum China during the second quarter worth about $20,188,000. Magellan Asset Management Ltd acquired a new position in Yum China during the second quarter worth about $18,482,000. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp increased its holdings in Yum China by 15.5% in the second quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp now owns 158,437 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,084,000 after buying an additional 21,221 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.58% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Yum China

In related news, insider Duoduo (Howard) Huang sold 4,888 shares of Yum China stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.10, for a total transaction of $235,112.80. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 22,510 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,082,731. This trade represents a 17.84% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Warton Wang sold 8,187 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.28, for a total transaction of $395,268.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 46,847 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,261,773.16. The trade was a 14.88% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 18,242 shares of company stock valued at $878,397 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.40% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently commented on YUMC. CLSA reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $55.00 price target on shares of Yum China in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Yum China in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $55.00.

Yum China Stock Down 1.3%

Shares of NYSE YUMC opened at $47.57 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $47.57 and its two-hundred day moving average is $45.84. The company has a market capitalization of $17.19 billion, a PE ratio of 19.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 0.14. Yum China has a 12-month low of $41.00 and a 12-month high of $53.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a current ratio of 1.32 and a quick ratio of 1.15.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $0.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.76. Yum China had a return on equity of 14.08% and a net margin of 7.81%.The firm had revenue of $3.21 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.20 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.77 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that Yum China will post 2.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Yum China announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback program on Friday, December 12th that permits the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to reacquire up to 5.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Yum China Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 23rd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 2nd were given a $0.24 dividend. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 2nd. Yum China’s dividend payout ratio is currently 39.83%.

Yum China 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.