Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) CEO Joey Wat Sells 104,000 Shares

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) CEO Joey Wat sold 104,000 shares of Yum China stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.18, for a total value of $5,738,720.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 433,306 shares in the company, valued at $23,909,825.08. This trade represents a 19.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Joey Wat also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Wednesday, February 11th, Joey Wat sold 4,613 shares of Yum China stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $57.01, for a total value of $262,987.13.

Yum China Stock Performance

NYSE YUMC opened at $55.42 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a current ratio of 1.32 and a quick ratio of 1.15. Yum China has a 1-year low of $41.00 and a 1-year high of $58.39. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $49.67 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $46.55. The stock has a market capitalization of $20.03 billion, a PE ratio of 22.08, a P/E/G ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.13.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.40 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.35 by $0.05. Yum China had a return on equity of 14.46% and a net margin of 7.87%.The firm had revenue of $2.82 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.72 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.30 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that Yum China will post 2.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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

Yum China Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 25th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be given a dividend of $0.29 per share. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. This is an increase from Yum China’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.24. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 4th. Yum China’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 38.25%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently commented on YUMC shares. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $63.64 price target on shares of Yum China in a report on Thursday, February 5th. CLSA restated an “outperform” rating and set a $55.00 price objective on shares of Yum China in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $58.50 target price on shares of Yum China in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Yum China in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Yum China from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 7th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $59.05.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Abound Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Yum China during the 4th quarter worth approximately $48,000. OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp increased its stake in Yum China by 15.5% in the fourth quarter. OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp now owns 10,505 shares of the company’s stock worth $497,000 after purchasing an additional 1,408 shares during the period. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Yum China by 13.1% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 42,783 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,042,000 after purchasing an additional 4,948 shares during the last quarter. MML Investors Services LLC boosted its stake in shares of Yum China by 11.6% during the fourth quarter. MML Investors Services LLC now owns 84,411 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,030,000 after purchasing an additional 8,786 shares during the period. Finally, Mariner LLC boosted its stake in shares of Yum China by 7.9% during the fourth quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 39,021 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,863,000 after purchasing an additional 2,844 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 85.58% of the company’s stock.

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.