Yum China $YUMC Stock Holdings Boosted by Vontobel Holding Ltd.

Key Points

• Vontobel Holding increased its Yum China stake by 19.1% in the third quarter, bringing its holdings to 2.12 million shares valued at approximately $87.2 million. Institutional investors collectively own 85.58% of the company.
• Yum China reported quarterly earnings of $0.70 per share, exceeding estimates by $0.03, while revenue rose 12.6% year over year to $3.14 billion.
• The company pays a quarterly dividend of $0.29 per share, equivalent to a 2.6% annual yield. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $59.21, although some coverage has been downgraded to “Hold.”

Vontobel Holding Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Yum China (NYSE:YUMC - Free Report) by 19.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,120,887 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 339,552 shares during the period. Vontobel Holding Ltd. owned about 0.62% of Yum China worth $87,168,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Main Street Group LTD purchased a new stake in Yum China in the 1st quarter worth about $26,000. Ascentis Independent Advisors purchased a new position in Yum China during the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in Yum China during the 2nd quarter valued at about $29,000. MBM Wealth Consultants LLC purchased a new position in Yum China during the 1st quarter valued at about $37,000. Finally, Aberdeen Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Yum China in the 2nd quarter valued at about $33,000. 85.58% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Yum China Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE YUMC traded up $0.46 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $45.13. The stock had a trading volume of 1,851,487 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,622,700. The business's fifty day moving average is $43.83 and its two-hundred day moving average is $44.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a current ratio of 0.96 and a quick ratio of 0.78. The company has a market cap of $15.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.53, a PEG ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 0.07. Yum China has a twelve month low of $39.72 and a twelve month high of $58.39.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC - Get Free Report) last issued its 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. The firm had revenue of $3.14 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.05 billion. Yum China had a return on equity of 15.82% and a net margin of 7.84%. Yum China's quarterly revenue was up 12.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.58 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts expect that Yum China will post 2.95 EPS for the current year.

Yum China Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 17th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 27th were issued a dividend of $0.29 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, August 27th. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. Yum China's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 42.49%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $59.00 target price on shares of Yum China in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Yum China in a report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Yum China from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, October 10th. Three investment 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.com, Yum China currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $59.21.

Insider Activity at Yum China

In other news, insider Jeff Kuai sold 14,586 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.72, for a total transaction of $696,043.92. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 63,541 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,032,176.52. This trade represents a 18.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Duoduo (Howard) Huang sold 24,096 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.08, for a total value of $1,134,439.68. Following the sale, the insider owned 7,589 shares in the company, valued at $357,290.12. The trade was a 76.05% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 0.44% of the company's stock.

Yum China Company Profile

Yum China Holdings, Inc is a restaurant company that operates and franchises quick-service and casual-dining restaurants in China. Its portfolio includes KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Lavasa, Huang Ji Huang, COFFii&JOY and East Dawning, offering products such as fried chicken, pizza, Mexican-inspired food, coffee and traditional Chinese cuisine.

KFC China and Pizza Hut China are the company's principal brands, serving customers through restaurants, delivery and digital ordering channels.

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