Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) Downgraded to Hold Rating by Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen cut shares of Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note released on Sunday.

YUMC has been the subject of a number of other reports. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Yum China from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $59.00 target price on shares of Yum China in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $59.21.

Yum China Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:YUMC opened at $47.69 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $16.65 billion, a PE ratio of 17.47, a P/E/G ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 0.09. The company has a quick ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $43.57 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $47.96. Yum China has a twelve month low of $40.15 and a twelve month high of $58.39.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $0.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.67 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $3.14 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.05 billion. Yum China had a net margin of 7.84% and a return on equity of 15.73%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 12.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.58 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that Yum China will post 2.95 EPS for the current year.

Yum China Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 17th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 27th will be issued a $0.075 dividend. This represents a $0.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 27th. Yum China’s dividend payout ratio is presently 42.49%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Yum China

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Main Street Group LTD purchased a new stake in Yum China in the 1st quarter worth approximately $26,000. Duncker Streett & Co. Inc. bought a new position in shares of Yum China in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Ascentis Independent Advisors bought a new position in shares of Yum China in the first quarter worth $27,000. Elyxium Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Yum China in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Cresta Advisors Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Yum China in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Hedge funds and other 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.