Yum China (NYSE:YUMC) Cut to Hold at StockNews.com

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC - Get Free Report) was downgraded by research analysts at StockNews.com from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note issued to investors on Sunday.

Separately, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Yum China from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and increased their target price for the stock from $35.50 to $60.00 in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Yum China presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $49.57.

Yum China Trading Up 1.7 %

Shares of YUMC stock traded up $0.83 on Friday, reaching $48.30. 1,975,160 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,345,784. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $46.90 and its 200 day simple moving average is $42.82. Yum China has a 52 week low of $28.50 and a 52 week high of $52.00. The company has a current ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The stock has a market capitalization of $18.34 billion, a PE ratio of 20.73, a P/E/G ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 0.33.

Yum China (NYSE:YUMC - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $0.30 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.31 by ($0.01). Yum China had a return on equity of 13.83% and a net margin of 8.06%. As a group, analysts forecast that Yum China will post 2.55 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Duoduo (Howard) Huang sold 6,377 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.47, for a total value of $302,716.19. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 16,641 shares of the company's stock, valued at $789,948.27. This trade represents a 27.70 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Yum China

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in YUMC. Kentucky Trust Co purchased a new position in Yum China in the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Graney & King LLC purchased a new position in shares of Yum China in the fourth quarter worth about $39,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Yum China by 43.9% in the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 846 shares of the company's stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 258 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Yum China by 58.5% during the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 878 shares of the company's stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 324 shares during the period. Finally, McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. boosted its position in Yum China by 906.5% in the third quarter. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 926 shares of the company's stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 834 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.58% of the company's stock.

Yum China Company Profile

Yum China Holdings, Inc owns, operates, and franchises restaurants in the People's Republic of China. The company operates through KFC, Pizza Hut, and All Other segments. It operates restaurants under the KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Lavazza, Little Sheep, and Huang Ji Huang concepts. The company also operates V-Gold Mall, a mobile e-commerce platform to sell products; and offers online food deliver services.