B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG Lowers Stock Holdings in Yum China $YUMC

Key Points

• B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG cut its stake in Yum China by 56.1% in Q4, selling 78,836 shares and leaving 61,739 shares worth about $2.95 million per its SEC filing.
• Yum China beat Q4 estimates with $0.40 EPS versus a $0.35 consensus and revenue of $2.82 billion, up 8.8% year-over-year.
• Company insiders have been net sellers: CEO Joey Wat sold 104,000 shares (~$5.74M) and insiders have sold 135,117 shares in the past 90 days, now owning 0.40% of the stock.

B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG lowered its stake in Yum China (NYSE:YUMC - Free Report) by 56.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 61,739 shares of the company's stock after selling 78,836 shares during the period. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG's holdings in Yum China were worth $2,947,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of YUMC. Jackson Grant Investment Advisers Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Yum China by 526.3% in the third quarter. Jackson Grant Investment Advisers Inc. now owns 595 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 500 shares during the period. Duncker Streett & Co. Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Yum China in the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Quent Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Yum China in the third quarter worth about $28,000. Stone House Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Yum China by 106.2% in the fourth quarter. Stone House Investment Management LLC now owns 629 shares of the company's stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 324 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its stake in Yum China by 147.4% in the third quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 945 shares of the company's stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 563 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.58% of the company's stock.

Yum China Stock Up 1.6%

YUMC opened at $48.82 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $51.56 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $48.93. Yum China has a 52 week low of $41.69 and a 52 week high of $58.39. The company has a market capitalization of $17.14 billion, a PE ratio of 19.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 0.17. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.40 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.35 by $0.05. Yum China had a net margin of 7.87% and a return on equity of 14.65%. The business had revenue of $2.82 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.72 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.30 EPS. The business's revenue was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that Yum China will post 2.91 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Yum China Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 25th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 4th were issued a $0.29 dividend. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 4th. This is a positive change from Yum China's previous quarterly dividend of $0.24. Yum China's payout ratio is 46.22%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Xueling Lu sold 23,504 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.84, for a total transaction of $1,312,463.36. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 9,042 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $504,905.28. This trade represents a 72.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Joey Wat sold 104,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.18, for a total transaction of $5,738,720.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly 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 SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 135,117 shares of company stock valued at $7,479,590 in the last ninety days. 0.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

YUMC has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $58.50 target price on shares of Yum China in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "buy" rating and issued a $63.64 price objective on shares of Yum China in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Yum China in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. 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 investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Yum China presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $59.05.

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.

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