Korea Investment CORP Invests $11.75 Million in Yum China $YUMC

Korea Investment CORP bought a new position in Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 288,419 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,754,000.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. EP Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Yum China during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $323,000. Keating Financial Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in Yum China during the second quarter valued at $90,000. Allworth Financial LP bought a new position in Yum China during the second quarter valued at $418,000. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG purchased a new position in shares of Yum China in the 2nd quarter worth $3,061,000. Finally, Altman Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Yum China in the 2nd quarter worth about $1,677,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.58% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have commented on the company. Weiss Ratings downgraded Yum China from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Yum China from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, August 17th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $59.00 target price on shares of Yum China in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $59.21.

Insider Buying and Selling at Yum China

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

Yum China Stock Performance

YUMC opened at $48.85 on Tuesday. Yum China has a 52-week low of $40.15 and a 52-week high of $58.39. The company has a quick ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The company has a market cap of $16.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 0.09. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $44.59 and its 200-day moving average price is $47.84.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $0.70 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.67 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $3.14 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.05 billion. Yum China had a net margin of 7.84% and a return on equity of 15.82%. Yum China’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.58 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Yum China will post 2.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Yum China Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 17th. Shareholders 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. Yum China’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 42.49%.

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.