Yum China Announces US$360 million Share Repurchase Agreements for First Half of 2025 as Part of Broader Capital Return Plan

Rhea-AI Summary

Yum China (NYSE: YUMC) has announced share repurchase agreements totaling US$360 million for the first half of 2025, starting January 6, 2025. This includes US$290 million in the U.S. and approximately HK$550 million in Hong Kong.

The agreements are part of a broader capital allocation plan to return US$4.5 billion to shareholders through 2024-2026. In the first 11 months of 2024, the company has already returned a record US$1.37 billion to shareholders, including US$1.18 billion in share repurchases and US$187 million in cash dividends. The company has repurchased 30 million shares, representing approximately 7% of outstanding shares as of December 31, 2023.

Positive

• Announced US$360 million share repurchase program for H1 2025
• Committed to return US$4.5 billion to shareholders during 2024-2026
• Record US$1.37 billion returned to shareholders in first 11 months of 2024
• Repurchased 7% of outstanding shares in 2024
• Strong cash generation capability demonstrated through consistent capital returns

Negative

• None.

Insights

Financial Analyst

The $360 million share repurchase plan for H1 2025 demonstrates Yum China's robust financial position and commitment to shareholder returns. This is part of an ambitious $4.5 billion capital return program through 2026, showing strong cash generation capabilities. The company has already executed $1.37 billion in shareholder returns in 2024, including significant share buybacks that reduced outstanding shares by 7%. The dual-market approach (US and Hong Kong) provides flexibility in execution and potentially better pricing efficiency. With $4.3 billion returned since 2017, YUMC maintains an impressive track record of capital returns while balancing growth investments. The structured buyback approach through Rule 10b5-1 plans suggests careful consideration of market dynamics and regulatory compliance.

Market Research Analyst

This systematic capital return strategy positions YUMC favorably among consumer discretionary stocks, particularly in the current market environment where investors value companies with strong cash flows and shareholder-friendly policies. The significant buyback activity, reducing share count by 7%, creates meaningful EPS accretion. The company's ability to maintain such aggressive capital returns while operating in China's competitive restaurant market indicates robust operational execution and market positioning. The structured approach to buybacks across both NYSE and HKEX listings demonstrates sophisticated treasury management and provides flexibility in capital deployment. The clear communication of long-term capital return targets ($4.5 billion through 2026) helps reduce market uncertainty and supports investor confidence.

SHANGHAI, Dec. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Yum China Holdings, Inc. (the "Company" or "Yum China") (NYSE: YUMC and HKEX: 9987) announced that it has entered into share repurchase agreements in the U.S. and Hong Kong for an aggregate repurchase amount of approximately US$360 million for the first half of 2025, commencing on January 6, 2025.

The share repurchase agreements include approximately US$290 million under the Rule 10b5-1 of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934 in the U.S. and approximately HK$550 million for a similar program in Hong Kong. These agreements are one component of the share repurchase program, and part of the broader capital allocation plan to return US$4.5 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases from 2024 to 2026, including US$1.5 billion for the full year 2024.

In the first 11 months of 2024, the Company returned a record US$1.37 billion to shareholders, including US$1.18 billion in share repurchases and US$187 million in cash dividends. A total of 30 million shares have been bought back, equivalent to approximately 7% of its outstanding shares as of December 31, 2023.

"We maintain a dual focus on driving business growth and returning capital to shareholders. With our confidence in our cash generating capability, we plan to return US$4.5 billion to shareholders between 2024 and 2026. We will continue to evaluate our capital return options, striving to achieve a balanced mix of share repurchases and dividends. Our goal is to create long-term, sustainable value for our shareholders," said Joey Wat, CEO of Yum China.

With a strong commitment of returning excess capital to shareholders, Yum China has already returned US$4.3 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases since 2017.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including under "2024 Outlook." We intend all forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts and by the use of forward-looking words such as "expect," "expectation," "believe," "anticipate," "may," "could," "intend," "belief," "plan," "estimate," "target," "predict," "project," "likely," "will," "continue," "should," "forecast," "outlook," "commit" or similar terminology. These statements are based on current estimates and assumptions made by us in light of our experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that we believe are appropriate and reasonable under the circumstances, but there can be no assurance that such estimates and assumptions will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the future strategies, growth, business plans, and dividend and share repurchase plans. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance and are inherently subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and could cause our actual results or events to differ materially from those indicated by those statements. We cannot assure you that any of our expectations, estimates or assumptions will be achieved. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are only made as of the date of this press release, and we disclaim any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, except as required by law. Numerous factors could cause our actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Our plan of capital returns to shareholders is based on current expectations, which may change based on market conditions, capital needs or otherwise. In addition, other risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently believe to be immaterial could affect the accuracy of any such forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements should be evaluated with the understanding of their inherent uncertainty. You should consult our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (including the information set forth under the caption "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q) for additional detail about factors that could affect our financial and other results.

About Yum China Holdings, Inc.

Yum China is the largest restaurant company in China with a mission to make every life taste beautiful. The Company has approximately 400,000 employees and operates over 15,000 restaurants under six brands across around 2,200 cities in China. KFC and Pizza Hut are the leading brands in the quick-service and casual dining restaurant spaces in China, respectively. In addition, Yum China has partnered with Lavazza to develop the Lavazza coffee concept in China. Little Sheep and Huang Ji Huang specialize in Chinese cuisine. Taco Bell offers innovative Mexican-inspired food. Yum China has a world-class, digitalized supply chain, which includes an extensive network of logistics centers nationwide and an in-house supply chain management system. Its strong digital capabilities and loyalty program enable the Company to reach customers faster and serve them better. Yum China is a Fortune 500 company with the vision to be the world's most innovative pioneer in the restaurant industry. For more information, please visit http://ir.yumchina.com. 

Contacts

Investor Relations Contact:
Tel: +86 21 2407 7556
IR@YumChina.com  

Media Contact:
Tel: +86 21 2407 8288 / +852 2267 5807
Media@YumChina.com

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SOURCE Yum China Holdings, Inc.

FAQ

What is the value of Yum China's (YUMC) share repurchase agreements for H1 2025?

Yum China announced share repurchase agreements totaling US$360 million for the first half of 2025, including US$290 million in the U.S. and approximately HK$550 million in Hong Kong.

How much has Yum China (YUMC) returned to shareholders in 2024?

In the first 11 months of 2024, Yum China returned US$1.37 billion to shareholders, comprising US$1.18 billion in share repurchases and US$187 million in cash dividends.

What is Yum China's (YUMC) total planned capital return for 2024-2026?

Yum China plans to return US$4.5 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases from 2024 to 2026.

How many shares has Yum China (YUMC) repurchased in 2024?

Yum China has repurchased 30 million shares, equivalent to approximately 7% of its outstanding shares as of December 31, 2023.