Yum China $YUMC Shares Sold by Vanguard Group Inc.

Key Points

• Vanguard Group trimmed its stake in Yum China by 1.5%, selling 233,150 shares and leaving it with 15,311,918 shares (about 4.24% of the company) valued at roughly $725 million; overall institutional ownership stands at 85.58% with some firms (notably M&T Bank) markedly increasing positions.
• Yum China reported $0.87 EPS (in line with estimates) and $3.27 billion in revenue (beating expectations) with revenue up 9.7% year‑over‑year, and it declared a quarterly dividend of $0.29 per share (annualized $1.16, ~2.4% yield; ex‑div May 27).
• Insiders have sold 135,117 shares worth about $7.48 million in the past three months (insider ownership ~0.40%), while analysts maintain an average rating of "Moderate Buy" with a mean price target of $59.05.

Vanguard Group Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of Yum China (NYSE:YUMC - Free Report) by 1.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 15,311,918 shares of the company's stock after selling 233,150 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned 4.24% of Yum China worth $725,004,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in Yum China by 33.0% during the 4th quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC now owns 6,612 shares of the company's stock worth $316,000 after purchasing an additional 1,641 shares in the last quarter. Matthews International Capital Management LLC increased its position in Yum China by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Matthews International Capital Management LLC now owns 312,126 shares of the company's stock worth $14,901,000 after purchasing an additional 836 shares in the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its position in Yum China by 439.4% during the 4th quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 6,770 shares of the company's stock worth $323,000 after purchasing an additional 5,515 shares in the last quarter. OLD National Bancorp IN increased its position in Yum China by 12.0% during the 4th quarter. OLD National Bancorp IN now owns 6,174 shares of the company's stock worth $295,000 after purchasing an additional 660 shares in the last quarter. Finally, M&T Bank Corp increased its position in 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 purchasing an additional 125,420 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.58% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

YUMC has been the subject of several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Yum China from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $63.64 price objective on shares of Yum China in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $58.50 price objective on shares of Yum China in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Yum China from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $59.05.

Yum China Stock Up 0.0%

Shares of NYSE:YUMC opened at $48.82 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $17.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 0.13. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The company has a 50 day moving average of $51.00 and a two-hundred day moving average of $49.17. Yum China has a 52-week low of $41.69 and a 52-week high of $58.39.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $0.87 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate 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 was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.77 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Yum China will post 2.92 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. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 27th will be paid a dividend of $0.29 per share. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 27th. Yum China's dividend payout ratio is 44.44%.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Jerry Ding sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.14, for a total transaction of $165,420.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 915 shares in the company, valued at approximately $50,453.10. This represents a 76.63% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Xueling Lu sold 23,504 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.84, for a total value of $1,312,463.36. Following the transaction, the insider 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 SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders sold 135,117 shares of company stock worth $7,479,590. 0.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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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