Principal Financial Group Inc. Has $1.04 Billion Holdings in Yum China $YUMC

Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) by 8.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 21,957,111 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 1,787,450 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned approximately 0.06% of Yum China worth $1,039,945,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of YUMC. Jackson Grant Investment Advisers Inc. grew its stake in Yum China by 526.3% in the 3rd quarter. Jackson Grant Investment Advisers Inc. now owns 595 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 500 shares during the last quarter. Duncker Streett & Co. Inc. acquired a new position in Yum China in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Quent Capital LLC acquired a new position in Yum China in the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Stone House Investment Management LLC grew its stake in Yum China by 106.2% in the 4th quarter. Stone House Investment Management LLC now owns 629 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 324 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Miller Global Investments LLC acquired a new position in Yum China in the 4th quarter valued at $41,000. 85.58% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Yum China Stock Down 2.0%

Shares of YUMC opened at $47.80 on Tuesday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $51.00 and a 200-day simple moving average of $49.17. The firm has a market capitalization of $16.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.31, a P/E/G ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 0.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 1.05. Yum China has a 52 week low of $41.69 and a 52 week high of $58.39.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $0.87 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.87. The business had revenue of $3.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.21 billion. Yum China had a net margin of 7.83% and a return on equity of 14.98%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.77 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that Yum China will post 2.92 earnings per share for the current year.

Yum China Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 17th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 27th will be given a dividend of $0.29 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 27th. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. Yum China’s dividend payout ratio is currently 44.44%.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Xueling Lu sold 23,504 shares of Yum China stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.84, for a total transaction of $1,312,463.36. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 9,042 shares in the company, valued at approximately $504,905.28. The trade was a 72.22% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Jerry Ding sold 3,000 shares of Yum China stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.14, for a total transaction of $165,420.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 915 shares in the company, valued at approximately $50,453.10. This trade represents a 76.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 135,117 shares of company stock valued at $7,479,590. Insiders own 0.40% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $58.50 target price on shares of Yum China in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Yum China from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $63.64 price target on shares of Yum China in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Yum China from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Friday. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $59.05.

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.