Digital platforms offset lockdowns

Article Excerpt

YUM CHINA HOLDINGS INC. $52 is a buy. The company (New York symbol YUMC; Consumer Sector; Shares outstanding: 428.0 million; Market cap: $22.3 billion; Dividend yield: 1.0%; Takeover Target Rating: Medium; www.yumchina.com) is China’s largest fast-food operator, with over 11,788 outlets, mainly under the KFC and Pizza Hut banners. On November 1, 2016, Yum Brands (New York symbol YUM) spun off Yum China as a separate firm. Investors received one share of Yum China for each Yum Brands share they held. In the quarter ended December 31, 2021, the company opened 373 new stores (net of closures). That’s why its revenue rose 1.4%, to $2.29 billion from $2.26 billion a year earlier. However, due to new COVID-19 lockdowns in China, same-store sales fell 11%. Earnings before one-time items also fell 91.4%, to $0.03 a share from $0.35. Meanwhile, the pandemic continues to spur strong demand for home delivery and takeout. The company’s membership program jumped 20% in 2021 to 360 million members, while digital orders accounted for…