Yum! Brands (YUM) Q4 Earnings Report Preview: What To Look For

Stock Story

Fast-food company Yum! Brands will be announcing earnings results this Wednesday before market hours. Here’s what you need to know.

Yum! Brands missed analysts’ revenue expectations by 1.2% last quarter, reporting revenues of $1.98 billion, up 8.4% year on year. It was a mixed quarter for the company, with a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates but a slight miss of analysts’ revenue estimates.

Is Yum! Brands a buy or sell going into earnings? Read our full analysis here, it’s free for active Edge members.

This quarter, analysts are expecting Yum! Brands’s revenue to grow 3.8% year on year to $2.45 billion, slowing from the 16% increase it recorded in the same quarter last year. Adjusted earnings are expected to come in at $1.76 per share.

Analysts covering the company have generally reconfirmed their estimates over the last 30 days, suggesting they anticipate the business to stay the course heading into earnings.

Looking at Yum! Brands’s peers in the restaurants segment, some have already reported their Q4 results, giving us a hint as to what we can expect. Starbucks delivered year-on-year revenue growth of 5.5%, beating analysts’ expectations by 2.6%, and Brinker International reported revenues up 6.9%, topping estimates by 2.9%. Starbucks traded down 1.9% following the results while Brinker International was up 2.1%.

Read our full analysis of Starbucks’s results here and Brinker International’s results here.

There has been positive sentiment among investors in the restaurants segment, with share prices up 2.1% on average over the last month. Yum! Brands is up 3.1% during the same time and is heading into earnings with an average analyst price target of $167.54 (compared to the current share price of $155.67).

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A Look Back at Traditional Fast Food Stocks’ Q3 Earnings: Wendy's (NASDAQ:WEN) Vs The Rest Of The Pack

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Wrapping up Q3 earnings, we look at the numbers and key takeaways for the traditional fast food stocks, including Wendy's and its peers.

Traditional fast-food restaurants are renowned for their speed and convenience, boasting menus filled with familiar and budget-friendly items. Their reputations for on-the-go consumption make them favored destinations for individuals and families needing a quick meal. This class of restaurants, however, is fighting the perception that their meals are unhealthy and made with inferior ingredients, a battle that's especially relevant today given the consumers increasing focus on health and wellness.

The 13 traditional fast food stocks we track reported a satisfactory Q3. As a group, revenues were in line with analysts’ consensus estimates.

Thankfully, share prices of the companies have been resilient as they are up 8.3% on average since the latest earnings results.

Wendy's

Founded by Dave Thomas in 1969, Wendy’s is a renowned fast-food chain known for its fresh, never-frozen beef burgers, flavorful menu options, and commitment to quality.

Wendy's reported revenues of $549.5 million, down 3% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 3.1%. Overall, it was an exceptional quarter for the company with an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.

"Third quarter results were in line with our expectations, reflecting continued strength in our international business with 8.6% systemwide sales growth, the addition of 54 new restaurants globally and adjusted EBITDA growth," said Ken Cook, Interim CEO.

Wendy's scored the biggest analyst estimates beat of the whole group. Investor expectations, however, were likely higher than Wall Street’s published projections, leaving some wishing for even better results (analysts’ consensus estimates are those published by big banks and advisory firms, not the investors who make buy and sell decisions). The stock is down 4% since reporting and currently trades at $8.47.

Best Q3: Dutch Bros

Started in 1992 by two brothers as a single pushcart, Dutch Bros is a dynamic coffee chain that’s captured the hearts of coffee enthusiasts across the United States.

Dutch Bros reported revenues of $423.6 million, up 25.2% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 2.3%. The business had an exceptional quarter with a solid beat of analysts’ same-store sales estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.

Dutch Bros achieved the fastest revenue growth among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 8.2% since reporting. It currently trades at $60.82.

Weakest Q3: Papa John's

Founded by the eclectic John “Papa John” Schnatter, Papa John’s is a globally recognized pizza delivery and carryout chain known for “better ingredients” and “better pizza”.

Papa John's reported revenues of $508.2 million, flat year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 2.9%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted full-year EBITDA guidance missing analysts’ expectations significantly and a miss of analysts’ revenue estimates.

As expected, the stock is down 9% since the results and currently trades at $37.56.

Read our full analysis of Papa John’s results here.

Krispy Kreme

Famous for its Original Glazed doughnuts and parent company of Insomnia Cookies, Krispy Kreme is one of the most beloved and well-known fast-food chains in the world.

Krispy Kreme reported revenues of $375.3 million, down 1.2% year on year. This result came in 0.8% below analysts' expectations. In spite of that, it was a very strong quarter as it recorded a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

The stock is down 8.5% since reporting and currently trades at $3.45.

Read our full, actionable report on Krispy Kreme here, it’s free.

Yum! Brands

Spun off as an independent company from PepsiCo, Yum! Brands is a multinational corporation that owns KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and The Habit Burger Grill.

Yum! Brands reported revenues of $1.98 billion, up 8.4% year on year. This print lagged analysts' expectations by 1.2%. Zooming out, it was a mixed quarter as it also recorded an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates but a slight miss of analysts’ revenue estimates.

The stock is up 10.1% since reporting and currently trades at $153.51.

Read our full, actionable report on Yum! Brands here, it’s free.

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Spotting Winners: Yum! Brands (NYSE:YUM) And Traditional Fast Food Stocks In Q3

Stock Story

Restaurant Brands International

The end of an earnings season can be a great time to discover new stocks and assess how companies are handling the current business environment. Let’s take a look at how Yum! Brands and the rest of the traditional fast food stocks fared in Q3.

The 13 traditional fast food stocks we track reported a satisfactory Q3. As a group, revenues were in line with analysts’ consensus estimates.

Thankfully, share prices of the companies have been resilient as they are up 9.1% on average since the latest earnings results.

Yum! Brands

Spun off as an independent company from PepsiCo, Yum! Brands is a multinational corporation that owns KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and The Habit Burger Grill.

Yum! Brands reported revenues of $1.98 billion, up 8.4% year on year. This print fell short of analysts’ expectations by 1.2%. Overall, it was a mixed quarter for the company with an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates but a slight miss of analysts’ revenue estimates.

Interestingly, the stock is up 14.5% since reporting and currently trades at $159.62.

Best Q3: Dutch Bros

Started in 1992 by two brothers as a single pushcart, Dutch Bros is a dynamic coffee chain that’s captured the hearts of coffee enthusiasts across the United States.

Dutch Bros scored the fastest revenue growth among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 10.5% since reporting. It currently trades at $62.11.

Weakest Q3: Papa John's

Founded by the eclectic John “Papa John” Schnatter, Papa John’s is a globally recognized pizza delivery and carryout chain known for “better ingredients” and “better pizza”.

As expected, the stock is down 12.2% since the results and currently trades at $36.24.

Read our full analysis of Papa John’s results here.

Restaurant Brands

Formed through a strategic merger, Restaurant Brands International is a multinational corporation that owns three iconic fast-food chains: Burger King, Tim Hortons, and Popeyes.

Restaurant Brands reported revenues of $2.45 billion, up 6.9% year on year. This print beat analysts’ expectations by 2.4%. Overall, it was a strong quarter as it also produced an impressive beat of analysts’ revenue estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ same-store sales estimates.

The stock is up 4.3% since reporting and currently trades at $68.42.

Read our full, actionable report on Restaurant Brands here, it’s free.

Yum China

One of China’s largest restaurant companies, Yum China is an independent entity spun off from Yum! Brands in 2016.

Yum China reported revenues of $3.21 billion, up 4.4% year on year. This result was in line with analysts’ expectations. Zooming out, it was a mixed quarter as it underperformed in some other aspects of the business.

The stock is up 8.7% since reporting and currently trades at $47.80.

Read our full, actionable report on Yum China here, it’s free.

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Taco Bell Unveils Luxe Value Menu With New $3 Items And Early Access For Rewards Members

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Yum! Brands

+0.52%

WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Taco Bell (YUM) is rolling out a new Luxe Value Menu nationwide on January 22, adding a mix of fresh offerings and long-time favourites at prices mostly under $3.

The menu introduces five new items, including a Mini Taco Salad, Avocado Ranch Chicken Stacker, and a limited-time Salted Caramel Churros, alongside five classic staples. Prices range from about $1 to just under $3, keeping with the chain's push to attract budget-conscious customers in the new year.

Among the newcomers are the Mini Taco Salad, a crispy tortilla bowl filled with seasoned beef, chipotle sauce, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and refried beans, and the Beef Potato Loaded Griller, which combines beef, potato bites, nacho cheese and sour cream in a grilled wrap. Other additions include the Chips & Nacho Supreme Dip, the Avocado Ranch Chicken Stacker, and the Salted Caramel Churros, which will be available for a limited time.

Classic items joining the value lineup include the Cheesy Roll Up, Spicy Potato Soft Taco, Cheesy Bean and Rice Burrito, 3 Cheese Chicken Flatbread Melt and the Cheesy Double Beef Burrito.

The launch follows Taco Bell's recent return of its Volcano-style menu, which brought back the Volcano Crunch Taco, Volcano BellGrande and Volcano Quesarito with the chain's signature spicy sauce.

Rewards members will get early access to the Luxe Value Menu on January 16 through the Taco Bell app by checking in at a drive-thru or in-store kiosk. On January 27, 30,000 members will also have a chance to buy any one Luxe Value Menu item for $1 at 2 p.m. PT, with the offer available in the app on a first-come, first-served basis.

Wednesday, YUM closed at $157.13, up 0.49%, and is unchanged in after-hours trading on the NYSE.

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Pizza Hut Collaborates With Tom Brady To Introduce Limited-Time Pizza Offer

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Yum! Brands

+0.52%

WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Pizza Hut, a division of Yum! Brands, Inc. (YUM), Wednesday announced a collaboration with legendary quarterback, Tom Brady, to kick off a new 'Pizza Before the Hut' campaign.

Starting today, Pizza Hut is introducing its new limited time deal on the 16' Big New Yorker pizza for $10 at participating locations nationwide for the biggest games of the year.

'When you launch the Big New Yorker for just $10, you've got to go big with everything around it: from partnering with the biggest name in football and the QB who has shouted 'hut' more than anyone, to a big challenge worthy of the moment with a big pizza party,' said Melissa Friebe, Chief Marketing Officer at Pizza Hut.

In the pre-market hours, YUM is trading at $149.23, down 1.40 percent on the New York Stock Exchange.

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Devyani–Sapphire merger talks enter advanced stage; swap ratio emerges as key hurdle

CNBC TV18

Yum! Brands

+0.52%

Merger talks between Devyani International and Sapphire Foods, the two largest operators of KFC and Pizza Hut in India, have now moved into an advanced stage, according to people familiar with the discussions.

Together, the two companies run more than 3,000 outlets nationwide, anchoring Yum Brands’ presence in the country. If concluded, the deal would consolidate the entire KFC and Pizza Hut India system under one platform.

Sources told CNBC-TV18 on Thursday that Yum Brands is driving the consolidation effort, encouraging both franchisees to explore a unified structure that can deliver stronger supply-chain efficiencies, and smoother operational planning.

According to these sources, the structure being evaluated involves Sapphire merging into Devyani, with Devyani expected to remain the listed entity post-merger.

However, they say the swap ratio remains the core hurdle. Devyani has proposed a ratio of 1:3, while Sapphire is pushing for 1:2.

Sources describe this valuation negotiation as the “most delicate” stage of the dialogue.

Financial disclosures show that both companies remain loss-making. Devyani reported a net loss of ₹23.9 crore for the September 2025 quarter, while Sapphire posted a loss of ₹12.8 crore in the same period.

Analysts tracking the sector say that despite the losses, the combined scale of their networks could create meaningful cost synergies that neither company can fully realise independently.

Operationally, Devyani operates 2,184 outlets across its brands, and Sapphire runs around 1,000 outlets. A merged platform of this size would form one of the largest QSR systems in the country, giving it greater negotiating leverage on rentals, logistics and procurement.

CNBC-TV18 has reached out to Devyani International, Sapphire Foods and Yum Brands for comment. Responses are awaited.

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Pizza Hut Brings Back Triple Treat Box For Holidays

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Yum! Brands

+0.52%

WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Yum! Brands, Inc. (YUM), the restaurant franchiser, Wednesday said that its Pizza subsidiary Pizza Hut is bringing back the Triple Treat Box which contains two medium one-topping pizzas, five breadsticks, and a choice of dessert served in festive holiday packaging.

Additionally, consumers can also dress like a Triple Treat Box with the launch of the limited-edition holiday onesie created in collaboration with Tipsy Elves, an apparel brand.

The Triple Treat Box onesie features the updated design seen on the Triple Treat Box packaging and is available to anyone who wants to celebrate the National Ugly Sweater Day on December 19. They are priced at $89.95.

The Triple Treat Box is available now for a limited time only at participating Pizza Hut locations nationwide, the company said in a statement.

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