SHANGHAI, China – Yum China Holdings, Inc. 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.
