Nordea Investment Management AB Has $44.47 Million Stock Position in Yum China $YUMC

Nordea Investment Management AB grew its holdings in Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) by 1.1% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,037,034 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 10,790 shares during the quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB owned 0.29% of Yum China worth $44,468,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in Yum China by 21.5% in the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 29,150,667 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,303,326,000 after purchasing an additional 5,164,701 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Yum China in the second quarter valued at approximately $201,814,000. Carrhae Capital LLP acquired a new stake in Yum China during the second quarter worth approximately $48,868,000. Temasek Holdings Private Ltd increased its stake in Yum China by 30.4% during the 2nd quarter. Temasek Holdings Private Ltd now owns 3,721,858 shares of the company’s stock worth $166,404,000 after acquiring an additional 868,188 shares during the period. Finally, DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale raised its holdings in Yum China by 355.1% in the 2nd quarter. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale now owns 1,001,107 shares of the company’s stock valued at $45,280,000 after acquiring an additional 781,117 shares in the last quarter. 85.58% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other Yum China news, insider Warton Wang sold 8,187 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.28, for a total value of $395,268.36. Following the sale, the insider owned 46,847 shares in the company, valued at $2,261,773.16. This trade represents a 14.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Jeff Kuai sold 5,167 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.00, for a total transaction of $248,016.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 56,602 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,716,896. This trade represents a 8.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders have sold 18,242 shares of company stock worth $878,397. Corporate insiders own 0.40% of the company’s stock.

Yum China Trading Down 1.9%

Shares of YUMC stock opened at $47.28 on Thursday. Yum China has a fifty-two week low of $41.00 and a fifty-two week high of $53.99. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $47.39 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $45.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 1.32. The company has a market cap of $17.09 billion, a PE ratio of 19.62, a P/E/G ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 0.14.

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

Yum China announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase program on Friday, December 12th that permits the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to reacquire up to 5.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are often a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Yum China Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 23rd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 2nd were issued a $0.24 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 2nd. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. Yum China’s dividend payout ratio is 39.83%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

YUMC has been the topic of several analyst reports. CLSA reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $55.00 target price on shares of Yum China in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Yum China in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $55.00.

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.