Insider Selling: Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) Insider Sells 3,000 Shares of Stock
by Jessica Moore · The Cerbat GemYum China (NYSE:YUMC – Get Free Report) insider Jerry Ding sold 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.14, for a total transaction of $165,420.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 915 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $50,453.10. The trade was a 76.63% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website.
Yum China Price Performance
Shares of NYSE YUMC opened at $55.71 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $48.42 and a 200-day simple moving average of $46.15. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The stock has a market capitalization of $20.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.14. Yum China has a 52 week low of $41.00 and a 52 week high of $55.84.
Yum China (NYSE:YUMC – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.35 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $2.82 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.72 billion. Yum China had a net margin of 7.87% and a return on equity of 14.46%. Yum China’s revenue was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.30 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Yum China will post 2.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Yum China Increases Dividend
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 25th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be issued a $0.29 dividend. This is a boost from Yum China’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.24. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 4th. Yum China’s payout ratio is 38.25%.
Yum China declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback program on Friday, December 12th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to reacquire up to 5.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
YUMC has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. 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. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $63.64 target price on shares of Yum China in a report on Thursday. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $58.50 price target on shares of Yum China in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Yum China in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Yum China has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $59.05.
Get Our Latest Analysis on Yum China
More Yum China News
Here are the key news stories impacting Yum China this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat — Yum China reported $0.40 EPS vs. $0.35 expected and revenue of $2.82B (vs. $2.72B est.), with revenue up ~8.8% year‑over‑year and improving net margins, driving investor optimism. Yum China Q4 Earnings & Revenues Top Estimates
- Positive Sentiment: Expansion & franchise mix — management outlined a plan to add >1,900 new stores in 2026 and push franchise mix to ~40–50%, which supports faster unit growth and margin leverage. Yum China outlines over 1,900 new stores
- Positive Sentiment: Dividend hike — the company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.29 (a ~20.8% increase), boosting the cash-return profile and appealing to income investors. Yum China Declares USD 0.29 Quarterly Dividend
- Neutral Sentiment: Delivery & margin tailwinds — several writeups and the earnings presentation note a “delivery boom” that helped profitability this quarter; watch sustainability of those margins. Yum China Lifts Dividend After Delivery Boom
- Neutral Sentiment: Momentum coverage — several analyst/market‑style pieces (Zacks, Seeking Alpha) highlight YUMC as a momentum name based on recent price action and style scores; useful for sentiment tracking but not new fundamental data. Momentum coverage
- Negative Sentiment: Valuation & reassessment risk — a recent commentary asks whether investors should reassess YUMC after the run-up; with the stock near its 12‑month high and a P/E ~21, further upside may hinge on execution and sustained margin gains. Is It Time To Reassess Yum China?
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Focus Partners Wealth lifted its holdings in shares of Yum China by 13.8% in the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 21,289 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,108,000 after acquiring an additional 2,582 shares during the last quarter. Strs Ohio acquired a new stake in shares of Yum China in the first quarter valued at $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 buying an additional 3,882 shares during the period. OLD National Bancorp IN acquired a new position in Yum China during the 2nd quarter worth about $249,000. Finally, US Bancorp DE boosted its holdings in Yum China by 21.7% during the 2nd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 32,088 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,435,000 after acquiring an additional 5,723 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.58% of the company’s stock.
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.