Empowered Funds LLC Increases Stock Position in Yum China $YUMC

Key Points

• Empowered Funds LLC significantly increased its Yum China stake by 13,253.7% in the first quarter, ending with 229,016 shares worth approximately $11.2 million. Institutional investors collectively own 85.58% of the company.
• Yum China’s second-quarter results exceeded expectations: adjusted EPS was $0.70 versus the $0.67 consensus, while revenue rose 12.6% year over year to $3.14 billion. Operating profit and margins also improved, with margin expansion continuing for the ninth consecutive quarter.
• The planned Pizza Hut mainland-China acquisition could support future growth and margins. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $59.21, above the reported share price of $46.45.

Empowered Funds LLC boosted its position in Yum China (NYSE:YUMC - Free Report) by 13,253.7% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 229,016 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 227,301 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC owned 0.07% of Yum China worth $11,171,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of YUMC. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in Yum China by 8.9% in the 4th quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 21,957,111 shares of the company's stock worth $1,039,945,000 after purchasing an additional 1,787,450 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its holdings in Yum China by 5.0% in the fourth quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 4,971,031 shares of the company's stock valued at $237,317,000 after purchasing an additional 236,736 shares during the period. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD increased its position in shares of Yum China by 112.0% in the fourth quarter. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD now owns 7,854,198 shares of the company's stock valued at $374,959,000 after buying an additional 4,148,966 shares in the last quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky increased its position in shares of Yum China by 42.4% in the first quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 752,360 shares of the company's stock valued at $36,701,000 after buying an additional 224,060 shares in the last quarter. Finally, M&T Bank Corp raised its stake in shares of Yum China by 271.1% during the 4th quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 171,689 shares of the company's stock worth $8,196,000 after buying an additional 125,420 shares during the period. 85.58% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Yum China

Here are the key news stories impacting Yum China this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 results exceeded expectations. Yum China reported adjusted earnings of $0.70 per share versus the $0.67 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 13% year over year to $3.14 billion, above the $3.05 billion forecast. Diluted EPS increased 21% from the prior-year quarter. Yum China Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Profitability continued to improve. Operating profit grew 14%, and the operating margin expanded year over year for the ninth consecutive quarter. Total system sales increased 6% excluding foreign-currency effects, while same-store sales growth improved sequentially to 1%. Yum China Delivers Record Q2 Results and Moves to Own Pizza Hut Brand in China
• Positive Sentiment: Pizza Hut ownership could support future growth. Yum China expects its acquisition of the Pizza Hut brand in mainland China to close in August. Management said the transaction could unlock faster growth and larger margins, while strong delivery sales supported the current quarter’s performance. Yum China Says Pizza Hut Acquisition Unlocks Faster Growth, Bigger Margins
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder returns remain substantial. Yum China declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.29 per share and remains on track to return $1.5 billion to shareholders in 2026, equivalent to approximately 10% of its current market capitalization. Yum China Declares Q2 2026 Cash Dividend
• Neutral Sentiment: Value-focused investors are comparing YUMC with Chipotle Mexican Grill, making relative valuation an additional factor in the stock’s near-term performance. YUMC vs. CMG Value Comparison

Yum China Price Performance

NYSE:YUMC opened at $46.45 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $43.07 and a two-hundred day moving average of $47.96. Yum China has a 12 month low of $40.15 and a 12 month high of $58.39. The firm has a market cap of $16.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 0.10. The company has a current ratio of 1.01, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $0.70 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.67 by $0.03. Yum China had a return on equity of 15.11% and a net margin of 7.83%.The firm had revenue of $3.14 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.05 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.58 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 12.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect that Yum China will post 2.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Yum China Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 17th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 27th will be paid a dividend of $0.075 per share. This represents a $0.30 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 27th. Yum China's payout ratio is 44.44%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

YUMC has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings lowered Yum China from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $59.00 price target on shares of Yum China in a report on Thursday. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Yum China from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, July 18th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Yum China has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $59.21.

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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