Commerce Bank Takes $1.71 Million Position in Yum China $YUMC

Commerce Bank bought a new stake in shares of Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 41,797 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,708,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of YUMC. Main Street Group LTD acquired a new stake in Yum China during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Ascentis Independent Advisors acquired a new position in shares of Yum China in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Elyxium Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Yum China during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Cresta Advisors Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Yum China during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Yum China during the second quarter worth approximately $29,000. 85.58% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Duoduo (Howard) Huang sold 24,096 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.08, for a total transaction of $1,134,439.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 7,589 shares in the company, valued at approximately $357,290.12. This represents a 76.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Jeff Kuai sold 14,586 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.72, for a total transaction of $696,043.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 63,541 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,032,176.52. This trade represents a 18.67% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 0.44% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently issued reports on YUMC. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Yum China in a report on Friday. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Yum China from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, August 17th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $59.00 target price on shares of Yum China in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $59.21.

Yum China Price Performance

Shares of YUMC opened at $48.55 on Wednesday. Yum China has a 52 week low of $40.15 and a 52 week high of $58.39. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The firm has a market cap of $16.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.78, a PEG ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 0.09. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $44.69 and a 200-day moving average of $47.80.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $0.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.67 by $0.03. Yum China had a return on equity of 15.82% and a net margin of 7.84%.The business had revenue of $3.14 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.05 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.58 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 12.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts forecast that Yum China will post 2.95 EPS for the current year.

Yum China Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 17th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 27th will be issued a $0.29 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 27th. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. Yum China’s payout ratio is 42.49%.

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.