Yum! Brands (YUM) stock
Consumer Discretionary · Restaurants
Yum! Brands (YUM) is a Restaurants company in the Consumer Discretionary sector, headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. As of October 23, 2026, YUM closed at $149.70, a market capitalization of $40.85 billion, the 269th largest company in the S&P 500. Over the last twelve months it generated $8.72 billion in revenue (+12% year over year) and $1.68 billion in free cash flow. The stock trades at 18.9x trailing earnings and 21.9x forward earnings.
- 1-year total return: +4.3% (dividends reinvested)
- 5-year return: +5.4% a year
- 52-week range: $134.26 – $170.14
- Gross margin 45.3%, operating margin 32.8%
- Dividend yield: 2.00%, 8 straight years of increases
- FI Handbook report card: B- across 9 metrics
- 24th largest of 47 Consumer Discretionary stocks in the S&P 500
YUM price chart
1Y price change: +2.3% (price only; total returns below include dividends)
| Total return | 1M | YTD | 1Y | 3Y | 5Y | 10Y | MAX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YUM | +6.4% | +0.4% | +4.3% | +10.1% | +5.4% | +11.1% | +13.8% |
Dividends reinvested. 3Y and longer are annualized; MAX is annualized since 1997.
YUM key statistics
- Market cap
- $40.9B
- #269 in S&P 500
- P/E (TTM)
- 18.9x
- Forward P/E
- 21.9x
- EPS (TTM)
- $7.94
- Revenue (TTM)
- $8.7B
- +12%
- Free cash flow
- $1.7B
- Gross margin
- 45.3%
- Operating margin
- 32.8%
- Return on equity
- —
- Dividend yield
- 2.00%
- 52-week range
- $134.26 – $170.14
- Beta
- 0.55
- Price / sales
- 4.7x
- EV / EBITDA
- 17.5x
- Debt / equity
- —
- Employees
- 49,000
YUM report card
B-Ten fundamentals graded A to F against fixed thresholds. Not a buy or sell rating.
- Revenue growth12.2%B
- Gross margin45.3%B
- Operating margin32.8%A
- FCF margin19.3%B
- Return on equity——
- Net debt / EBITDA4.1xF
- Forward P/E21.9xC
- PEG ratio1.7xC
- Shareholder yield3.4%B
- Share count change / yr-1.8%B
Yum! Brands financials
Revenue went from $6.4B in fiscal 2016 to $8.2B in fiscal 2025, growing 2.9% a year.
| Fiscal year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $6.4B | $5.9B | $5.7B | $5.6B | $5.7B | $6.6B | $6.8B | $7.1B | $7.5B | $8.2B |
| Gross profit | — | $2.9B | $4.1B | $4.4B | $4.1B | $4.9B | $5.1B | $5.3B | $5.4B | $5.7B |
| Operating income | $1.7B | $2.8B | $2.3B | $1.9B | $1.5B | $2.1B | $2.2B | $2.3B | $2.4B | $2.6B |
| Net income | $1.6B | $1.3B | $1.5B | $1.3B | $904.0M | $1.6B | $1.3B | $1.6B | $1.5B | $1.6B |
| EPS (diluted) | $4.10 | $3.77 | $4.69 | $4.14 | $2.94 | $5.21 | $4.57 | $5.59 | $5.22 | $5.55 |
| Free cash flow | — | $712.0M | $942.0M | $1.1B | $1.1B | $1.5B | $1.1B | $1.3B | $1.4B | $1.6B |
| Buybacks | — | $2.0B | $2.4B | $815.0M | $239.0M | $1.6B | $1.2B | $50.0M | $441.0M | $552.0M |
| Dividends paid | — | $416.0M | $462.0M | $511.0M | $566.0M | $592.0M | $649.0M | $678.0M | $752.0M | $789.0M |
| Diluted shares | 400.0M | 355.0M | 329.0M | 313.0M | 307.0M | 302.0M | 290.0M | 285.0M | 285.0M | 281.0M |
Source: SEC filings (10-K XBRL). EPS and share counts are split-adjusted.
What's priced into YUM?
A reverse DCF asks what growth the current price requires. With an enterprise value of $53.6B and $1.7B of trailing free cash flow, Yum! Brands needs to grow free cash flow about 22.5% a year for ten years (fading to 3.0% terminal growth) to earn a 10% annual return. For context, free cash flow grew 7.4% a year over the last five years.
P/E ratio history
Current 27.0x vs. median 23.3x (10th–90th percentile 18.0x–30.6x).
A model, not a forecast or advice. Small changes in assumptions move the answer a lot.
YUM dividend
- Dividend yield
- 2.00%
- Annual dividend
- $3.00
- Years of increases
- 8
- 5-yr dividend growth
- 8.6%
- per year
- Payout ratio
- 37%
- Payments per year
- 4
Regular dividends per share by calendar year; special dividends excluded. Current year omitted until complete.
YUM analyst price targets
22 analysts' average 12-month target is $170.15 (+14% vs. $149.70). Targets range from $147.00 to $200.00. 46% rate it a buy.
YUM earnings
Next report: November 3, 2026. Yum! Brands has beaten EPS estimates 2 quarters in a row. Last quarter's revenue was $2.2B (+12% year over year).
| Report date | EPS estimate | EPS actual | Surprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 30, 2026 | $1.56 | $1.62 | +3.7% |
| Apr 29, 2026 | $1.39 | $1.50 | +8.0% |
| Feb 4, 2026 | $1.76 | $1.73 | -1.5% |
| Nov 4, 2025 | $1.48 | $1.58 | +6.7% |
| Aug 5, 2025 | $1.46 | $1.44 | -1.3% |
| Apr 30, 2025 | $1.28 | $1.30 | +1.5% |
| Feb 6, 2025 | $1.60 | $1.61 | +0.9% |
| Nov 5, 2024 | $1.41 | $1.37 | -2.8% |
Stocks like YUM
| Name | Today | 1Y | Mkt cap | P/E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 MCD McDonald's | -1.65% | -17% | $175.8B | 20.2x | Compare |
 SBUX Starbucks | -1.09% | +21% | $114.9B | 58.3x | Compare |
 CMG Chipotle Mexican Grill | -2.20% | -34% | $34.8B | 25.7x | Compare |
 DRI Darden Restaurants | -2.37% | +18% | $24.0B | 20.6x | Compare |
 DPZ Domino's Pizza | -1.29% | -24% | $10.3B | 17.3x | Compare |
 AMZN Amazon.com | -0.95% | +12% | $2.7T | 20.0x | Compare |
 TSLA Tesla | -0.63% | -17% | $1.5T | 409.0x | Compare |
 HD Home Depot | -2.41% | -15% | $319.1B | 21.5x | Compare |
YUM news
- Yum Brands Third-Quarter Earnings Likely Weighed Down by Cyclospora Outbreak, UBS Says · Oct 23, 2026
- Yum! Brands' Growth Set to Accelerate as Taco Bell Recovers, UBS Says · Oct 23, 2026
- PepsiCo Renews Taco Bell Beverage Deal Through 2036 After Losing KFC to Coca-Cola · Oct 22, 2026
- How Investors May Respond To Yum! Brands (YUM) KFC Soda Switch · Oct 22, 2026
- McDonald’s vs. Yum! Brands: Which Fast Food Dividend Has More Room to Grow? · Oct 22, 2026
YUM stock FAQ
What is YUM's market cap?
Yum! Brands's market capitalization is $40.85 billion as of October 23, 2026, ranking 269th in the S&P 500.
What is YUM's P/E ratio?
YUM trades at a trailing price-to-earnings ratio of 18.9x and a forward P/E of 21.9x. Its median P/E over the period we track is 23.3x.
Does YUM pay a dividend?
Yes. Yum! Brands pays $3.00 per share a year, a 2.00% yield. It has raised its dividend 8 years in a row. Dividends grew 8.6% a year over the last five years.
How much has YUM stock returned?
Including reinvested dividends, YUM returned +4.3% over one year, +5.4% a year over five years, +11.1% a year over ten years through October 23, 2026.
Is YUM stock overvalued?
At today's price, a reverse discounted cash flow model (10% discount rate, 3% terminal growth) implies Yum! Brands must grow free cash flow about 23% a year for the next decade. Its free cash flow grew 7% a year over the last five years. Whether that is achievable decides if the stock is cheap or expensive. This is a model, not advice.
What is the YUM price target?
22 analysts cover YUM with an average 12-month price target of $170.15, +14% from the current price. 46% of them rate it a buy.
When does YUM report earnings?
Yum! Brands is expected to report earnings on November 3, 2026. It has beaten EPS estimates 2 quarters in a row.
How many employees does Yum! Brands have?
Yum! Brands has about 49,000 full-time employees, or $178,000 of revenue per employee.
Sources: SEC EDGAR filings, Yahoo Finance market data (delayed), FI Handbook calculations. Last close October 23, 2026. Methodology