Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) has been assigned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the four brokerages that are covering the company, Marketbeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and three have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $59.2133.

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on YUMC shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Yum China in a report on Friday, August 21st. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Yum China from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, August 17th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $59.00 price target on shares of Yum China in a report on Thursday, July 30th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Duoduo (Howard) Huang sold 24,096 shares of the firm’s 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 transaction, the insider directly owned 7,589 shares in the company, valued at $357,290.12. This trade represents a 76.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Jeff Kuai sold 14,586 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.72, for a total value of $696,043.92. Following 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 position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 0.44% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Yum China

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in Yum China by 8.9% in the 4th 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 period. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky grew its holdings in Yum China by 42.4% during the first 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 purchasing an additional 224,060 shares during the period. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD grew its holdings in Yum China by 112.0% during the fourth 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 period. Assetmark Inc. increased its position in Yum China by 16.0% in the first quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 627,455 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,607,000 after buying an additional 86,550 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sapient Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Yum China in the first quarter worth about $8,453,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.58% of the company’s stock.

Yum China Price Performance

Shares of NYSE YUMC opened at $44.77 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $15.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.40, a PEG ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 0.08. Yum China has a twelve month low of $40.15 and a twelve month high of $58.39. The company has a quick ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The company has a 50 day moving average of $45.06 and a 200 day moving average of $47.33.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $0.70 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.67 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $3.14 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.05 billion. Yum China had a return on equity of 15.82% and a net margin of 7.84%.The company’s revenue was up 12.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.58 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Yum China will post 2.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Yum China Dividend Announcement

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

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.