Lazard Asset Management LLC Decreases Stock Holdings in Yum China $YUMC

Key Points

• Lazard Asset Management cut its Yum China stake by 30.1% in the first quarter, selling 151,940 shares and retaining 352,735 shares worth approximately $17.2 million. Institutional investors collectively own 85.58% of the company.
• Yum China reported quarterly earnings of $0.87 per share, matching estimates, while revenue rose 9.7% year over year to $3.27 billion, exceeding the $3.21 billion consensus forecast.
• The stock opened at $45.77, below its 12-month high of $58.39. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with an average price target of $59.05, though some research firms recently downgraded the shares to “Hold.”

Lazard Asset Management LLC lessened its stake in shares of Yum China (NYSE:YUMC - Free Report) by 30.1% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 352,735 shares of the company's stock after selling 151,940 shares during the quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC owned about 0.10% of Yum China worth $17,206,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Yum China by 8.9% in the fourth 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 last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its position in Yum China by 5.0% in the 4th quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 4,971,031 shares of the company's stock worth $237,317,000 after purchasing an additional 236,736 shares during the period. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD raised its stake in Yum China by 112.0% during the 4th 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 during the last quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky raised its stake in Yum China by 42.4% during the 1st 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 during the last quarter. Finally, M&T Bank Corp lifted its holdings 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 valued at $8,196,000 after buying an additional 125,420 shares during the period. 85.58% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Yum China Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE YUMC opened at $45.77 on Thursday. Yum China has a 12-month low of $40.15 and a 12-month high of $58.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $15.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.27 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. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $43.04 and a 200 day moving average of $47.96.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $0.87 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.87. Yum China had a net margin of 7.83% and a return on equity of 15.11%. The business had revenue of $3.27 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.21 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.77 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that Yum China will post 2.94 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

YUMC has been the topic of a number of research reports. Weiss Ratings downgraded Yum China from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Yum China from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, July 18th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Yum China has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $59.05.

Yum China Company 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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