Yum China $YUMC Shares Sold by Swedbank AB

Key Points

• Swedbank AB cut its Yum China stake by 64.7% in the fourth quarter, selling 78,308 shares and leaving it with 42,664 shares worth about $2.0 million.
• Yum China’s latest quarter was solid, with EPS of $0.87 matching estimates and revenue of $3.27 billion topping expectations; revenue rose 9.7% year over year.
• The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.29 per share, payable June 17, implying an annualized yield of about 2.5%.

Swedbank AB trimmed its position in shares of Yum China (NYSE:YUMC - Free Report) by 64.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 42,664 shares of the company's stock after selling 78,308 shares during the quarter. Swedbank AB's holdings in Yum China were worth $2,037,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of YUMC. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD purchased a new stake in Yum China during the third quarter worth $159,431,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in Yum China by 14.8% during the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 20,169,661 shares of the company's stock worth $883,687,000 after purchasing an additional 2,604,480 shares in the last quarter. Temasek Holdings Private Ltd boosted its position in Yum China by 25.1% during the third quarter. Temasek Holdings Private Ltd now owns 4,654,717 shares of the company's stock worth $199,780,000 after purchasing an additional 932,859 shares in the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its position in Yum China by 13.1% during the second quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 5,871,382 shares of the company's stock worth $262,509,000 after purchasing an additional 677,928 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its position in Yum China by 43.4% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 2,220,546 shares of the company's stock worth $96,655,000 after purchasing an additional 672,090 shares in the last quarter. 85.58% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have commented on YUMC. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $63.64 target price on shares of Yum China in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $58.50 target price on shares of Yum China in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Yum China from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Yum China from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 2nd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $59.05.

Insider Buying and Selling at Yum China

In related news, insider Xueling Lu sold 23,504 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.84, for a total value of $1,312,463.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 9,042 shares in the company, valued at approximately $504,905.28. This represents a 72.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Joey Wat sold 104,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.18, for a total value of $5,738,720.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 433,306 shares of the company's stock, valued at $23,909,825.08. The trade was a 19.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 132,117 shares of company stock valued at $7,314,170 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.40% of the company's stock.

Yum China Stock Performance

NYSE YUMC opened at $46.88 on Monday. Yum China has a fifty-two week low of $41.69 and a fifty-two week high of $58.39. The stock has a market cap of $16.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 0.13. The business has a fifty day moving average of $50.61 and a 200-day moving average of $49.27. 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 results on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $0.87 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.87. The company had revenue of $3.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.21 billion. Yum China had a return on equity of 14.98% and a net margin of 7.83%.The business's revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.77 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that Yum China will post 2.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Yum China Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 17th. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 27th will be paid a $0.29 dividend. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 27th. Yum China's dividend payout ratio is presently 44.44%.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding YUMC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Yum China (NYSE:YUMC - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.