China Investment Corp. Seeking Majority Stake in Yum Brands' China Business

A consortium of investors, led by China Investment Corp is exploring a majority stake in Yum! Brands, Inc. YUM's China business which consists of more than 7,100 KFC and Pizza Hut restaurants across the country.

Bloomberg, citing "people with knowledge of the matter," reported that any deal could value Yum Brands China unit between $7 billion and $8 billion. If a deal were to happen, Yum Brands can take advantage of the cash inflow to fund a dividend and its planned share buyback program.

Bloomberg added that the consortium of investors would be willing to acquire a 100 percent stake in the business, although Yum Brands may be shopping for a buyer that is willing to acquire just a minority stake. In fact, the company isn't even running a formal sale process for its China unit and told Bloomberg it is making "good progress" on its announced split of its China business.

Meanwhile, China's state-backed fund could be the first domestic entity that controls a leading fast-food chain in China.

Other potential investors in the China unit include the Chinese investment firm Primavera Capital and Singapore's state funded Temasek Holdings.