SEB Asset Management AB Takes $9.67 Million Position in Yum China $YUMC

SEB Asset Management AB purchased a new position in Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund purchased 196,725 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,670,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in YUMC. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in Yum China by 3.0% during the first quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 22,606,740 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,111,135,000 after buying an additional 649,629 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada increased its stake in Yum China by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 11,135,203 shares of the company’s stock worth $531,593,000 after acquiring an additional 167,868 shares during the last quarter. Dodge & Cox raised its holdings in shares of Yum China by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Dodge & Cox now owns 8,553,962 shares of the company’s stock valued at $408,366,000 after acquiring an additional 33,100 shares in the last quarter. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD raised its holdings in shares of Yum China by 112.0% in the 4th quarter. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD now owns 7,854,198 shares of the company’s stock valued at $374,959,000 after acquiring an additional 4,148,966 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Yum China during the 4th quarter valued at about $280,656,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.58% of the company’s stock.

Yum China Stock Down 2.6%

YUMC opened at $42.80 on Wednesday. Yum China has a 12 month low of $40.15 and a 12 month high of $58.39. The company has a current ratio of 1.01, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $43.21 and its 200-day moving average price is $48.10. The company has a market cap of $14.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.40, a P/E/G ratio of 1.23 and a beta of 0.10.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $0.87 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.87. Yum China had a return on equity of 15.11% and a net margin of 7.83%.The company had revenue of $3.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.21 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.77 EPS. Yum China’s quarterly revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Yum China will post 2.94 EPS for the current year.

Yum China Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 17th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 27th were paid a dividend of $0.29 per share. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, May 27th. Yum China’s dividend payout ratio is 44.44%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently commented on YUMC shares. Wall Street Zen lowered Yum China from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Yum China from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $59.05.

Yum China 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.