Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio Buys New Shares in Yum China $YUMC

Key Points

• Ohio’s public employees’ retirement system bought 132,632 shares of Yum China valued at approximately $5.4 million, while institutional investors collectively own 85.58% of the company.
• Yum China reported quarterly earnings of $0.70 per share, exceeding estimates by $0.03, as revenue rose 12.6% year over year to $3.14 billion.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.29 per share, equivalent to a $1.16 annualized payout and a 2.6% yield; analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $59.21.

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new position in shares of Yum China (NYSE:YUMC - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund bought 132,632 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,412,000.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in Yum China by 3.0% in the first quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 22,606,740 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,111,135,000 after acquiring an additional 649,629 shares in the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada grew its holdings in Yum China by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 11,135,203 shares of the company's stock worth $531,593,000 after acquiring an additional 167,868 shares in the last quarter. Dodge & Cox increased its position in shares of Yum China by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Dodge & Cox now owns 8,553,962 shares of the company's stock valued at $408,366,000 after purchasing an additional 33,100 shares during the last quarter. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD increased its position in shares of Yum China by 112.0% in the 4th quarter. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD now owns 7,854,198 shares of the company's stock valued at $374,959,000 after purchasing an additional 4,148,966 shares during the last quarter. Finally, W1M Asset Management Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Yum China in the 2nd quarter valued at $320,227,000. 85.58% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Yum China Trading Down 0.2%

Shares of YUMC stock opened at $44.77 on Thursday. The business's 50 day moving average is $45.06 and its two-hundred day moving average is $47.33. Yum China has a twelve month low of $40.15 and a twelve month high of $58.39. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The company has a market capitalization of $15.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 0.08.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $0.70 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.67 by $0.03. Yum China had a return on equity of 15.82% and a net margin of 7.84%.The firm had revenue of $3.14 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.05 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.58 earnings per share. Yum China's quarterly revenue was up 12.6% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that Yum China will post 2.95 EPS for the current year.

Yum China Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 17th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 27th will be paid a dividend of $0.29 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 27th. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. Yum China's dividend payout ratio is presently 42.49%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Yum China from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, August 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "buy" rating and issued a $59.00 price target on shares of Yum China in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Yum China in a report on Friday, August 21st. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Yum China currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $59.21.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Jeff Kuai sold 14,586 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.72, for a total transaction of $696,043.92. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 63,541 shares in the company, valued at $3,032,176.52. This represents a 18.67% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Duoduo (Howard) Huang sold 24,096 shares of Yum China stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.08, for a total transaction of $1,134,439.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 7,589 shares in the company, valued at approximately $357,290.12. This trade represents a 76.05% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.44% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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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