Yum China Signs $460 Mln Share Repurchase Agreements

(RTTNews) - Yum China Holdings, Inc. (YUMC), a restaurant company, on Friday announced said it has entered into share repurchase agreements in the U.S. and Hong Kong totaling approximately $460 million for the first half of 2026, starting January 12, 2026.

The agreements cover about $350 million and about HK$880 million under a similar program in Hong Kong.

The company said these agreements form part of its broader plan to return $1.5 billion to shareholders through dividends and buybacks in 2026, equal to around 9% of its market capitalization as of December 11.

The company expects to return $4.5 billion to shareholders between 2024 and 2026 and plans to return roughly 100% of annual free cash flow, after non-controlling interest dividends, starting in 2027.

The company expects annual shareholder returns in 2027 and 2028 to be about $900 million to more than $1 billion, rising above $1 billion in 2028, through a combination of increasing dividends and value-enhancing buybacks.

Since 2017, the company has returned $5.8 billion to shareholders.

In the pre-market trading, YUMC is 1.01% higher at $48.10 on the New York Stock Exchange.