Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp Sells 72,281 Shares of Yum China $YUMC

Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp trimmed its stake in Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) by 45.6% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 86,156 shares of the company’s stock after selling 72,281 shares during the quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp’s holdings in Yum China were worth $3,698,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Tranquilli Financial Advisor LLC lifted its stake in Yum China by 15.8% in the third quarter. Tranquilli Financial Advisor LLC now owns 7,515 shares of the company’s stock valued at $323,000 after purchasing an additional 1,025 shares during the last quarter. Naples Global Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Yum China by 8.1% during the 3rd quarter. Naples Global Advisors LLC now owns 54,274 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,329,000 after buying an additional 4,047 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its stake in shares of Yum China by 13.8% during the 3rd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 33,377 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,421,000 after acquiring an additional 4,055 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its stake in shares of Yum China by 14.3% during the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 4,734,295 shares of the company’s stock worth $203,196,000 after acquiring an additional 591,251 shares during the period. Finally, Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Yum China by 7.8% in the 3rd quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 20,836 shares of the company’s stock worth $894,000 after acquiring an additional 1,512 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.58% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. CLSA reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $55.00 price objective on shares of Yum China in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Yum China in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $55.00.

Yum China Stock Up 1.1%

Shares of NYSE YUMC opened at $50.49 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The company has a market cap of $18.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.95, a P/E/G ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.14. Yum China has a 52 week low of $41.00 and a 52 week high of $53.99. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $48.03 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $45.98.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $0.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.76. Yum China had a net margin of 7.81% and a return on equity of 14.08%. The firm had revenue of $3.21 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.20 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.77 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts anticipate that Yum China will post 2.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Yum China Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 23rd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 2nd were issued a $0.24 dividend. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 2nd. Yum China’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.83%.

Yum China announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase plan on Friday, December 12th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to repurchase up to 5.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Jeff Kuai sold 5,167 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.00, for a total transaction of $248,016.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 56,602 shares in the company, valued at $2,716,896. The trade was a 8.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Duoduo (Howard) Huang sold 4,888 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.10, for a total value of $235,112.80. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 22,510 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,082,731. The trade was a 17.84% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 18,242 shares of company stock worth $878,397 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.40% of the company’s stock.

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.