Yum! Brands Announces JV with Primavera and Ant Financial for Strategic Investment In Yum China

05 Sep 2016 --- Yum! Brands, Inc. have announced that it has entered into agreements with Primavera Capital Group, a China-based global private equity firm, and Ant Financial Services Group to invest a total of $460 million in Yum China, concurrent with the completion of Yum China’s spinoff from Yum! Brands.  

The spinoff and concurrent completion of the Primavera and Ant Financial investments are expected to occur on October 31, 2016, with Yum China to commence trading on the New York Stock Exchange as an independent company on November 1, 2016, under the ticker symbol “YUMC.”  

Under the terms of the agreements, Primavera and Ant Financial will invest $410 million and $50 million, respectively, in Yum China. The final number of shares issued to Primavera and Ant Financial will be subject to a post-closing adjustment such that the effective price will be equal to an 8% discount to the volume-weighted average trading price of Yum China’s equity value during the period commencing 31 days and ending 60 days following completion of the spinoff (subject to a collar mechanism limiting the minimum and maximum shares to be issued).  

Primavera and Ant Financial will also receive two tranches of warrants to acquire shares of Yum China common stock reflecting approximately 2% equity ownership interest (in the aggregate) in each tranche to be exercisable in the five-year period following the issuance of those warrants, with strike prices correlating to equity values of $12 billion and $15 billion. 
 
The Company also announced that founder of Primavera Dr. Fred Hu, former Chairman of Greater China at Goldman Sachs, will become Non-Executive Chairman of the Board of Yum China.   

“We have long admired the Yum China business and are looking forward to collaborating with the Board and management to realize the company’s full potential,” said Dr. Hu of Primavera.  

“Yum China is an established leader in the retail and restaurant industry which we believe is poised for continued strong growth and unit expansion as cities across China invest in new transportation hubs, shopping malls and other physical and electronic infrastructure that will support consumption. I look forward to leading the Board of Directors of Yum China in its new and exciting chapter as an independent company.”  
 
“Through this collaboration, we aim to help Yum China provide world-class mobile payment services for tens of millions of customers across its brands. These services include hassle-free Alipay for customers to help shorten queues at the cashier as well as membership solutions for Yum China designed to help manage their customer relations and promotions,” said Eric Jing, President of Ant Financial Services Group.  “Leveraging our Big Data capabilities, KFC and Pizza Hut witnessed promising marketing results through their promotion on multiple Ant Financial platforms. We look forward to further collaborating with Yum China in the future.”  

“Primavera and Ant Financial both have deep insights into the rapid urbanization and digital transformation which is driving the evolution of China’s economy, and we are excited about their investment into Yum China,” said Micky Pant, Chief Executive Officer of Yum China. 
 
“The investment is a clear endorsement of our business strategy and growth potential, and their diverse experience and relationships will be extremely beneficial. Dr. Hu’s extensive market insights and experience scaling businesses in China will be invaluable as we move to expand the footprint of our brands. In addition, Yum China is already the leading restaurant company for cashless payment systems in China, and we expect Ant Financial can provide further unique insights to help us better connect with consumers through mobile technology.”     

“The investments from Primavera and Ant Financial in Yum China mark another important milestone in our plans to separate the China business and create a solid foundation for Yum China as it prepares to become an independent restaurant powerhouse,” said Greg Creed, Chief Executive Officer of Yum! Brands.  “We look forward to partnering with Primavera and Ant Financial to drive long-term growth at Yum China and welcome Dr. Hu as Non-Executive Chairman of Yum China.  I’m pleased that the spinoff remains on track for completion on October 31 and look forward to sharing additional details on the transformative initiatives we are undertaking as we become a more heavily franchised company at our New York investor conference on Tuesday, October 11.”    

Primavera has an established track record of supporting successful, high-growth companies in China whose business models benefit from rising consumption and the adoption of urban lifestyles.  Its investments include Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (NYSE: BABA) and Ant Financial, among many others. Ant Financial is an online and mobile financial services firm and digital payments network provider in China.   

The closing of the investments are subject to completion of the spinoff and other customary closing conditions.