Principal Financial Group Inc. Purchases 2,604,480 Shares of Yum China $YUMC

Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) by 14.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 20,169,661 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,604,480 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned about 5.54% of Yum China worth $883,687,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Focus Partners Wealth raised its position in shares of Yum China by 13.8% in the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 21,289 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,108,000 after buying an additional 2,582 shares in the last quarter. Strs Ohio bought a new position in Yum China in the 1st quarter worth about $99,000. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC raised its holdings in shares of Yum China by 25.8% in the 2nd quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 18,921 shares of the company’s stock valued at $846,000 after acquiring an additional 3,882 shares in the last quarter. Capital Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Yum China by 4.5% during the 2nd quarter. Capital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 6,528 shares of the company’s stock valued at $292,000 after acquiring an additional 281 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Patriot Financial Group Insurance Agency LLC grew its holdings in shares of Yum China by 16.1% during the second quarter. Patriot Financial Group Insurance Agency LLC now owns 9,902 shares of the company’s stock worth $443,000 after purchasing an additional 1,370 shares in the last quarter. 85.58% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Yum China Stock Performance

NYSE:YUMC opened at $49.43 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $17.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.51, a PEG ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.14. The business has a 50 day moving average of $48.06 and a 200 day moving average of $45.99. 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 $53.99.

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

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

Yum China Announces Dividend

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other 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 value of $248,016.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 56,602 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,716,896. The trade was a 8.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Duoduo (Howard) Huang sold 4,888 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.10, for a total value of $235,112.80. Following the transaction, the insider owned 22,510 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,082,731. The trade was a 17.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 18,242 shares of company stock valued at $878,397 over the last three months. Insiders own 0.40% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. CLSA reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $55.00 target price on shares of Yum China in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Yum China in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Yum China has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $55.00.

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.