Yum! Brands, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, develops, operates, and franchises quick service restaurants worldwide. The company operates through the KFC Division, the Taco Bell Division, the Pizza Hut Division, and the Habit Burger Grill Division segments. It also operates restaurants under the KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and The Habit Burger Grill brands, which specialize in chicken, pizza, made-to-order chargrilled burgers, sandwiches, Mexican-style food categories, and other food products. The company was formerly known as TRICON Global Restaurants, Inc. and changed its name to Yum! Brands, Inc. in May 2002. Yum! Brands, Inc. was incorporated in 1997 and is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky.

Yum! Brands, Inc.

Shareholders of Yum! Brands Inc (Symbol: YUM) looking to boost their income beyond the stock's 2% annualized dividend yield can sell the April 2026 covered call at the $145 strike and collect the premium based on the $7.70 bid, which annualizes to an additional 11.4% rate of return against the current stock price (at Stock Options Channel we call this the YieldBoost), for a total of 13.4% annualized rate in the scenario where the stock is not called away. Any upside above $145 would be lost if the stock rises there and is called away, but YUM shares would have to advance 1.6% from current levels for that to occur, meaning that in the scenario where the stock is called, the shareholder has earned a 7% return from this trading level, in addition to any dividends collected before the stock was called.
In general, dividend amounts are not always predictable and tend to follow the ups and downs of profitability at each company. In the case of Yum! Brands Inc, looking at the dividend history chart for YUM below can help in judging whether the most recent dividend is likely to continue, and in turn whether it is a reasonable expectation to expect a 2% annualized dividend yield.
Below is a chart showing YUM's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $145 strike highlighted in red:
The chart above, and the stock's historical volatility, can be a helpful guide in combination with fundamental analysis to judge whether selling the April 2026 covered call at the $145 strike gives good reward for the risk of having given away the upside beyond $145. (Do most options expire worthless? This and six other common options myths debunked). We calculate the trailing twelve month volatility for Yum! Brands Inc (considering the last 249 trading day closing values as well as today's price of $142.22) to be 23%. For other call options contract ideas at the various different available expirations, visit the YUM Stock Options page of StockOptionsChannel.com.
In mid-afternoon trading on Monday, the put volume among S&P 500 components was 839,395 contracts, with call volume at 2.20M, for a put:call ratio of 0.38 so far for the day. Compared to the long-term median put:call ratio of .65, that represents very high call volume relative to puts; in other words, buyers are preferring calls in options trading so far today. Find out which 15 call and put options traders are talking about today.
Also see:
PRIM Next Dividend Date
Funds Holding EIP
DSL Split History
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

How To YieldBoost YUM To 13.4% Using Options

Fintel reports that on October 22, 2025, Barclays maintained coverage of Yum! Brands (NYSE:YUM) with a Overweight recommendation.
Analyst Price Forecast Suggests 9.76% Upside
As of September 29, 2025, the average one-year price target for Yum! Brands is $161.74/share. The forecasts range from a low of $143.42 to a high of $194.25. The average price target represents an increase of 9.76% from its latest reported closing price of $147.36 / share.
See our leaderboard of companies with the largest price target upside.
The projected annual revenue for Yum! Brands is 7,909MM, an increase of 0.01%. The projected annual non-GAAP EPS is 6.67.
What is the Fund Sentiment?
There are 2,203 funds or institutions reporting positions in Yum! Brands. This is an increase of 57 owner(s) or 2.66% in the last quarter. Average portfolio weight of all funds dedicated to YUM is 0.18%, an increase of 8.03%. Total shares owned by institutions increased in the last three months by 1.81% to 286,429K shares. The put/call ratio of YUM is 0.63, indicating a bullish outlook.
What are Other Shareholders Doing?
Jpmorgan Chase holds 18,819K shares representing 6.78% ownership of the company. In its prior filing, the firm reported owning 20,151K shares , representing a decrease of 7.08%. The firm decreased its portfolio allocation in YUM by 21.24% over the last quarter.
Capital International Investors holds 15,693K shares representing 5.65% ownership of the company. In its prior filing, the firm reported owning 15,511K shares , representing an increase of 1.16%. The firm decreased its portfolio allocation in YUM by 16.54% over the last quarter.
T. Rowe Price Investment Management holds 10,783K shares representing 3.89% ownership of the company. In its prior filing, the firm reported owning 9,278K shares , representing an increase of 13.96%. The firm increased its portfolio allocation in YUM by 4.47% over the last quarter.
AWSHX - WASHINGTON MUTUAL INVESTORS FUND holds 9,078K shares representing 3.27% ownership of the company. In its prior filing, the firm reported owning 9,544K shares , representing a decrease of 5.13%. The firm decreased its portfolio allocation in YUM by 16.63% over the last quarter.
VTSMX - Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund Investor Shares holds 8,935K shares representing 3.22% ownership of the company. In its prior filing, the firm reported owning 8,816K shares , representing an increase of 1.32%. The firm decreased its portfolio allocation in YUM by 14.86% over the last quarter.
Fintel is one of the most comprehensive investing research platforms available to individual investors, traders, financial advisors, and small hedge funds.
Our data covers the world, and includes fundamentals, analyst reports, ownership data and fund sentiment, options sentiment, insider trading, options flow, unusual options trades, and much more. Additionally, our exclusive stock picks are powered by advanced, backtested quantitative models for improved profits.
This story originally appeared on Fintel.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Barclays Maintains Yum! Brands (YUM) Overweight Recommendation

Key Points
This dominant company has a powerful network effect that supports its competitive position.
Thanks to an extremely scalable business model, earnings can increase rapidly in the years ahead.
Shares have soared in 2025, but the valuation indicates they remain reasonably priced.
Bill Ackman is a well-known hedge fund manager who runs Pershing Square Capital Management, the firm he founded in 2004. His strategy emphasizes buying attractively priced shares in what he and his team believe are high-quality companies. The goal is to create a concentrated portfolio and to own these names for several years
The billionaire has almost 21% of his $13.7 billion hedge fund in just one stock (based on data from June 30). Continue reading to learn what this top position is and what makes it a special business.
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Ackman is betting big on this growth tech stock
On an X post in February, Ackman said that his firm had accumulated 30.3 million shares in Uber Technologies (NYSE: UBER). As of June 30, the hedge fund owned the same number of shares.
As mentioned, Ackman wants to identify great businesses. There are notable traits that help put Uber in this category.
Viewing Uber from a high level, investors realize that this is really a marketplace business that connects demand (riders and hungry consumers) with supply (drivers and restaurants). In general, these are fragmented stakeholder groups, which makes Uber tremendously valuable as the aggregator of supply and demand. The result is a powerful network effect, allowing the platform to get better over time.
The company's competitive position is so dominant that even popular restaurant chains with vast physical footprints and well-developed digital apps, like McDonald's and Yum! Brands' Taco Bell, still make themselves available on its app. This is a strikingly clear indication of the power Uber has in the minds of consumers. The brand is held in high regard.
Uber is now a profit-making machine
Ackman praised the "superb job" that CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has done so far, turning Uber into a profitable company that produces free cash flow. This is a result of the CEO running a more efficient organization.
The bottom-line performance can also be credited to the scalable nature of the business model. Every additional ride or delivery should produce high margins for the company.
This is showing up in the financials. Operating income totaled $1.5 billion in the second quarter (ended June 30), up 82% year over year and a big improvement from the loss in the same period of 2022.
The leadership's confidence in the future was evident in Uber's 2024 investor day presentation. Management forecast adjusted EBITDA compound annual growth in a percentage range from the high 30s to 40, between 2024 and 2027. Based on Pershing Square's Uber investment thesis, the hedge fund believes those percentages are a realistic outlook.
Profit gains depend on revenue growth, and Uber's revenue was up 16% in the first six months of 2025 versus the same period in 2024. The growth has come down dramatically from 2021 and 2022.
However, double-digit annual revenue gains can be achieved for the foreseeable future. This will be possible because of Uber's ability to keep bringing on new customers, which now total 180 million monthly active users.
Is the stock still cheap?
Uber shares have had a wonderful 2025, climbing 57% (as of Oct. 14) thanks to strong fundamental performance. When Ackman and Pershing Square started buying the stock in January, they obviously thought it was cheap. The same perspective might still be true.
Even after a superb return, Uber shares look reasonably priced. Investors who want to follow in the billionaire's footsteps will have to pay a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 23.2. That's barely more expensive than the S&P 500 index.
It can definitely be difficult to buy a stock after seeing the price rise so much and trade near all-time highs. When it comes to investing, though, what matters is the future. Buying Uber shares today still looks like a smart move.
Should you invest $1,000 in Uber Technologies right now?
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Neil Patel has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Uber Technologies. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Billionaire Bill Ackman Has 21% of His Hedge Fund's $13.7 Billion Portfolio Invested in Just 1 Stock

As fast-casual dining grows more crowded, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. CMG is finding its once-uncontested position increasingly challenged. Rival chains are leaning on value meals and promotional offers to capture price-sensitive customers, especially in a softer consumer environment. Against this backdrop, investors are asking whether Chipotle’s brand moat, unique mix of quality, speed and loyalty, remains as strong as it once was.
Chipotle still commands powerful brand equity. Management underscored that core offerings, such as the Chicken Bowl, are priced 20-30% below comparable fast-casual meals, making its value proposition compelling despite consumer pullbacks. The company is also reinvesting in marketing to reinforce visibility and engagement, highlighted by the “Summer of Extras” rewards campaign, which drew participation from millions of customers and helped reenergize traffic.
At the same time, Chipotle is strengthening its operational foundation. Restaurant teams are deploying new back-of-house technology like produce slicers and high-efficiency equipment to improve consistency, throughput and prep efficiency. These initiatives aim not only to enhance customer experiences but also to unlock new avenues like catering, where Chipotle currently lags its peers.
Financially, the latest quarter reflected the pressures of this competitive environment: revenue growth slowed to 3%, comps slipped 4% and restaurant-level margins narrowed by 150 basis points. Yet management remains confident in returning to mid-single-digit comps over time, supported by menu innovation, international expansion and digital loyalty engagement with roughly 20 million active members.
Chipotle’s moat is being tested, but with scale, innovation and loyal customers, the brand’s defenses still appear resilient.
Rising Competition From QSR and Fast-Casual Rivals
Chipotle’s strong brand moat is being tested by established quick-service giants and emerging fast-casual challengers. Taco Bell, owned by Yum! Brands YUM continue to leverage aggressive value offerings, such as $5 combo meals, to capture price-sensitive consumers. The brand’s scale, menu variety and late-night accessibility make it a formidable rival, particularly at a time when Chipotle is working to better communicate the value proposition.
On the other end, Sweetgreen SG is carving out share among health-conscious, digitally savvy diners. With an emphasis on sustainability, app-driven ordering and customizable bowls, Sweetgreen appeals to a similar urban demographic that Chipotle targets. Though still smaller in scale, its technological edge and premium positioning underscore how niche players are encroaching on Chipotle’s customer base.
Together, these competitors highlight the dual challenge for Chipotle: defending affordability against QSR heavyweights while staying ahead of fast-casual innovators.
CMG’s Price Performance, Valuation and Estimates
Chipotle’s shares have lost 16.1% in the past six months compared with the industry’s decline of 7.4%.
Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, CMG trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 4.12X, up from the industry’s average.
P/S (F12M)
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CMG’s 2025 and 2026 earnings implies a year-over-year uptick of 7.1% and 16.4%, respectively.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Chipotle currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Chipotle Faces Tougher Competition: Is Its Brand Moat Still Strong?

Key Points
Consumer-facing companies are struggling with foot traffic and pushback on price increases.
Dutch Bros has built a blueprint for success with small stores, great products, and friendly staff.
Starbucks is in prove-it mode, but the stock could still be a buy for long-term investors.
It's been a challenging year for restaurants, as consumers have tightened their spending on discretionary goods and services.
Dutch Bros (NYSE: BROS) has nose-dived over 27% in the last month. Year to date, Dutch Bros and Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) are down 9% and 10.9%, respectively, while the S&P 500 index (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) has gained 14.2%.
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Here's why these two Fool.com contributors believe that the sell-off in these beverage stocks is a buying opportunity.
Dutch Bros is the growth story Starbucks used to be
Anders Bylund (Dutch Bros): I respect Starbucks to the ends of the Earth, and it's a tempting turnaround story right now. But once the attempted rebound plays out -- for better or worse -- I'm still looking at a mature global business with limited long-term growth prospects.
Dutch Bros is a different beast, at a very different stage of its growth story. It's also more than just a coffee chain.
Sure, the company has been around since 1992, but it shifted into a nationwide expansion mode as recently as 2021. With roughly 1,050 stores in operation so far, it's sort of like buying Starbucks stock in 1996. It's not an exact carbon copy, since Starbucks and others have been building a global coffee-shop market that didn't exist in the early 1990s. The similarity is still striking, though.
I don't have to remind you of the game-changing total returns Starbucks has delivered, right? Well, go ahead and twist my arm:
That's an average annual return of 14.3% for nearly three full decades, including a couple of deep dives along the way. I obviously can't promise that Dutch Bros will copy this stellar growth story exactly, but I like the company's chances.
Dutch Bros brings more than just another brand name to the coffee-chain market:
Its "Broistas" are expected to serve drinks with a friendly attitude, almost always at the drive-through window.
The small coffee shops with minimal dine-in (or drink-in, I suppose) facilities facilitate faster store construction and lower costs of operation -- nobody's staying around after hours to clean the nonexistent sit-down area, for example.
Dutch Bros isn't afraid to expand its menu beyond coffee-based ideas; about 25% of its sales in 2024 came from the hand-mixed Rebel energy drinks, and that category is growing sales much faster than the hot coffee lineup.
So I can't promise a three-decade victory lap with fantastic investor returns. Even the most promising growth stories can stumble over the years. But I do like Dutch Bros' chances to become the next Starbucks, while the Seattle chain itself can only hope to regain and defend its established coffee king title. As a longtime Rule Breaker, I'd much rather invest in Dutch Bros' exciting growth story in 2025.
Starbucks has fallen far enough
Daniel Foelber: If you were to have closed your eyes six years ago and opened them up today, you'd find Starbucks down slightly while the S&P 500 has more than doubled with a 128.5% gain. The poor performance in Starbucks' stock price highlights the opportunity cost of investing in a company that fails to deliver on promises.
Starbucks' issues have evolved from a few bullet points to a comprehensive list. The company has failed to significantly expand its international business, particularly in China. For years, it has heavily relied on price increases to drive growth, which has run its course. And now, Starbucks is struggling to grow sales volumes as customers resist price increases.
The Starbucks Rewards program, paired with mobile order and pay, used to be a differentiating factor. But the competition has caught up. And Starbucks' somewhat sterile stores have made the customer experience more transactional, which doesn't bode well when customers are already spread thin with cost-of-living inflation.
As a result, Starbucks' margins are under pressure, growth is stagnating, and the company is resorting to big ideas to turn the business around.
One of those big ideas was to hire the former CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Brian Niccol, a little over a year ago. Niccol had a lot of success at Yum! Brands through Pizza Hut and Taco Bell before moving to Chipotle.
But the deal came at a high cost, as Niccol is one of the highest-paid CEOs among S&P 500 companies. In July, Fortune ran a piece stating that Niccol is earning 6,666 times more than the median employee at Starbucks. That's not exactly a good look in any context, but especially when the stock is performing poorly.
On Sept. 25, Niccol published a letter discussing key updates in his Back to Starbucks plan. Starbucks now expects to end fiscal 2025 with a 1% decline in North American stores, with renovations at 1,000 existing stores over the next 12 months, and the elimination of 900 nonretail partner roles, as well as closing open positions.
The move is a clear signal that Starbucks is no longer in growth mode. It is trying to find its footing and improve the experience by focusing on boosting the quality of its stores rather than increasing their quantity.
I think the move is exactly what Starbucks needs right now. But the negative reaction in Starbucks' stock price is no surprise. Investors are tired of the company being in turnaround mode. It's understandable that some long-term investors are even reconsidering Starbucks' role in their portfolios.
Despite all the challenges, Starbucks is a buy for investors who believe its turnaround will eventually pay off. The brand remains strong, and it would be a mistake to underestimate the value of Starbucks' global recognition. In the meantime, the company just raised its dividend for the 15th consecutive year -- boosting the yield to 3.1%.
Overall, I view Starbucks as a good buy because the company is openly saying its existing strategy needs a tune-up. Even if improvements take time, holding the stock will likely generate a substantial amount of passive income.
Should you invest $1,000 in Dutch Bros right now?
Before you buy stock in Dutch Bros, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Dutch Bros wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
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Anders Bylund has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Daniel Foelber has positions in Chipotle Mexican Grill and Starbucks and has the following options: short October 2025 $40 puts on Chipotle Mexican Grill, short October 2025 $42 calls on Chipotle Mexican Grill, and short October 2025 $85 calls on Starbucks. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Chipotle Mexican Grill and Starbucks. The Motley Fool recommends Dutch Bros and recommends the following options: short December 2025 $45 calls on Chipotle Mexican Grill. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Better Buy: Dutch Bros vs. Starbucks

Looking at the underlying holdings of the ETFs in our coverage universe at ETF Channel, we have compared the trading price of each holding against the average analyst 12-month forward target price, and computed the weighted average implied analyst target price for the ETF itself. For the Invesco MSCI North America Climate ETF (Symbol: KLMN), we found that the implied analyst target price for the ETF based upon its underlying holdings is $30.33 per unit.
With KLMN trading at a recent price near $27.63 per unit, that means that analysts see 9.76% upside for this ETF looking through to the average analyst targets of the underlying holdings. Three of KLMN's underlying holdings with notable upside to their analyst target prices are T-Mobile US Inc (Symbol: TMUS), Yum! Brands Inc (Symbol: YUM), and Sysco Corp (Symbol: SYY). Although TMUS has traded at a recent price of $226.18/share, the average analyst target is 21.28% higher at $274.32/share. Similarly, YUM has 12.04% upside from the recent share price of $142.69 if the average analyst target price of $159.87/share is reached, and analysts on average are expecting SYY to reach a target price of $85.93/share, which is 10.11% above the recent price of $78.04. Below is a twelve month price history chart comparing the stock performance of TMUS, YUM, and SYY:
Below is a summary table of the current analyst target prices discussed above:
Name
Symbol
Recent Price
Avg. Analyst 12-Mo. Target
% Upside to Target
Invesco MSCI North America Climate ETF
KLMN
$27.63
$30.33
9.76%
T-Mobile US Inc
TMUS
$226.18
$274.32
21.28%
Yum! Brands Inc
YUM
$142.69
$159.87
12.04%
Sysco Corp
SYY
$78.04
$85.93
10.11%
Are analysts justified in these targets, or overly optimistic about where these stocks will be trading 12 months from now? Do the analysts have a valid justification for their targets, or are they behind the curve on recent company and industry developments? A high price target relative to a stock's trading price can reflect optimism about the future, but can also be a precursor to target price downgrades if the targets were a relic of the past. These are questions that require further investor research.
Also see:
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Look Under The Hood: KLMN Has 10% Upside

Fintel reports that on October 2, 2025, Piper Sandler maintained coverage of Yum! Brands (NYSE:YUM) with a Neutral recommendation.
Analyst Price Forecast Suggests 6.86% Upside
As of September 29, 2025, the average one-year price target for Yum! Brands is $161.74/share. The forecasts range from a low of $143.42 to a high of $194.25. The average price target represents an increase of 6.86% from its latest reported closing price of $151.36 / share.
See our leaderboard of companies with the largest price target upside.
The projected annual revenue for Yum! Brands is 7,909MM, an increase of 0.01%. The projected annual non-GAAP EPS is 6.67.
What is the Fund Sentiment?
There are 2,208 funds or institutions reporting positions in Yum! Brands. This is an increase of 61 owner(s) or 2.84% in the last quarter. Average portfolio weight of all funds dedicated to YUM is 0.18%, an increase of 7.38%. Total shares owned by institutions increased in the last three months by 2.08% to 286,722K shares. The put/call ratio of YUM is 0.61, indicating a bullish outlook.
What are Other Shareholders Doing?
Jpmorgan Chase holds 18,819K shares representing 6.78% ownership of the company. In its prior filing, the firm reported owning 20,151K shares , representing a decrease of 7.08%. The firm decreased its portfolio allocation in YUM by 21.24% over the last quarter.
Capital International Investors holds 15,693K shares representing 5.65% ownership of the company. In its prior filing, the firm reported owning 15,511K shares , representing an increase of 1.16%. The firm decreased its portfolio allocation in YUM by 16.54% over the last quarter.
T. Rowe Price Investment Management holds 10,783K shares representing 3.89% ownership of the company. In its prior filing, the firm reported owning 9,278K shares , representing an increase of 13.96%. The firm increased its portfolio allocation in YUM by 4.47% over the last quarter.
AWSHX - WASHINGTON MUTUAL INVESTORS FUND holds 9,078K shares representing 3.27% ownership of the company. In its prior filing, the firm reported owning 9,544K shares , representing a decrease of 5.13%. The firm decreased its portfolio allocation in YUM by 16.63% over the last quarter.
VTSMX - Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund Investor Shares holds 8,935K shares representing 3.22% ownership of the company. In its prior filing, the firm reported owning 8,816K shares , representing an increase of 1.32%. The firm decreased its portfolio allocation in YUM by 14.86% over the last quarter.
Fintel is one of the most comprehensive investing research platforms available to individual investors, traders, financial advisors, and small hedge funds.
Our data covers the world, and includes fundamentals, analyst reports, ownership data and fund sentiment, options sentiment, insider trading, options flow, unusual options trades, and much more. Additionally, our exclusive stock picks are powered by advanced, backtested quantitative models for improved profits.
This story originally appeared on Fintel.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Piper Sandler Maintains Yum! Brands (YUM) Neutral Recommendation

McDonald's Corporation MCD continues to deliver strong performance, driven by robust international comparable sales, the success of the $5 Meal Deal, and compelling marketing and menu innovations. The company's world-class execution is contributing to growth in both comparable sales and guest traffic. McDonald’s “Accelerating the Arches” strategy remains a key driver of momentum, supported by value-focused offerings and strategic unit expansion. Looking ahead, the company remains committed to balancing value with margin growth while adapting to evolving consumer preferences to support long-term sustainable growth.
Other industry players that share space with MCD, including DoorDash, Inc. DASH, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. CMG and Yum! Brands, Inc. YUM, are also benefiting from resilient consumer demand, strong order volumes, and strategic menu and digital initiatives.
However, McDonald’s near-term outlook faces headwinds from elevated beef and labor costs in Europe, persistent inflation across much of the region and softer traffic trends in the United States.
What Makes MCD Stock Attractive?
Brand Image & Franchising Strategy: McDonald’s continues to strengthen its position as the most valuable global restaurant brand, as recognized by Kantar, reflecting its consistent consumer appeal worldwide. Its enduring relevance is evident through large-scale campaigns such as the global Minecraft Movie partnership, spanning over 100 markets and driving strong guest count growth. These activations showcase McDonald’s ability to connect with consumers beyond food, embedding the brand into cultural moments and daily life.
Franchisees remain central to McDonald’s operational excellence, customer satisfaction and market expansion. Management expects about 600 openings across the U.S. and International Operated Markets, alongside more than 1,600 in the International Developmental Licensed segment, including around 1,000 in China. The company reiterated its goal of reaching 50,000 restaurants worldwide by 2027, supported by a healthy pipeline and strong franchisee engagement.
Loyalty Program: McDonald’s loyalty ecosystem remains a key growth engine, driving stronger customer engagement and higher visit frequency. In 2023, the company was targeting 250 million 90-day active users by 2027 and had already surpassed 185 million across 60 markets as of the second quarter of 2025. In the United States, members visit an average of 26 times per year after joining, more than double the 10.5 visits prior.
Management emphasized that loyalty is a cornerstone of its “Accelerating the Arches” strategy, serving as a key lever for sustained sales growth, customer retention and long-term shareholder value creation.
Focus on Menu Innovation: McDonald’s is advancing its long-term growth strategy by continuously introducing new menu items while reinforcing its value proposition. In Germany, the Chicken Big Mac achieved record sales in its first full week, showcasing the brand’s ability to adapt global favorites for local markets. France and the U.K. benefited from the launch of the Big Arch burger, which quickly became a top performer. In Australia, chicken-led campaigns such as Hot Honey Chicken and the permanent addition of McWings supported market share gains. These results highlight McDonald’s strength in combining value platforms with differentiated offerings that resonate globally.
In the United States, the return of Snack Wraps at a nationally advertised $2.99 price point generated a strong consumer response and bolstered the McValue and $5 Meal platforms. By deepening engagement across core categories, McDonald’s is reinforcing its leadership in value-driven menu strategy while driving incremental traffic and share gains.
Factors Hindering Growth
Inflationary Pressures: Commodity inflation, particularly in food and beverages, negatively impacted the company’s performance. In the second quarter of 2025, the company highlighted elevated commodity and labor inflation, with beef prices in Europe climbing nearly 20% due to supply constraints. Franchisees across key markets maintained disciplined pricing, taking only low single-digit increases despite high single-digit inflation.
Macroeconomic Pressures: The company is grappling with persistent challenges across several regions, particularly in the United States, where the quick-service restaurant industry continues to face soft traffic trends. Over recent quarters, visits from low-income consumers have declined by double digits, even as wages show some improvement. Inflation has more than offset these gains, resulting in lower real incomes and reduced disposable spending power. This pressure has led many consumers to scale back, either by skipping meal occasions such as breakfast or by trading down to at-home consumption.
A Brief Review of Other Players
DoorDash: DoorDash is benefiting from strong order growth and rising Marketplace Gross Order Value (GOV), along with enhanced logistics efficiency and a growing contribution from advertising. Strong momentum across its new verticals, particularly in the grocery segment, is a plus. Growing monthly active users, driven by both domestic and international markets, fueled growth. The global footprint expanded, supported by DashPass and Wolt+ memberships. An expanding clientele, driven by partnerships with companies such as Dollar General, The Home Depot and Ibotta, has been noteworthy. However, DASH faced extensive competition in its largest segment, local food delivery logistics.
Chipotle: The company’s prospects are supported by Chipotle Honey Chicken, driving engagement and sales. Also, strength in digital sales, enhanced marketing and new restaurant openings bode well. Going forward, Chipotle intends to leverage digital programs to expand access and customer convenience. However, weakening consumer confidence, tariff pressures and high expenses are a concern. For the third quarter, the company expects the cost of sales to be in the high 29% range.
Yum! Brands: Yum! Brands is benefiting from strong performance at the KFC and Taco Bell divisions. Also, strength in digital sales, reflecting increased kiosk adoption and the success of value offerings, bodes well. Going forward, the company intends to expand the Byte platform, integrating AI-driven personalization and omnichannel loyalty software to drive growth. Also, the focus on unit expansion and new restaurant concepts bodes well. However, an uncertain macro environment and elevated expenses are concerns.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

McDonald's Drives Sustainable Growth Through Loyalty & Menu Innovation

Below is Validea's guru fundamental report for YUM! BRANDS INC (YUM). Of the 22 guru strategies we follow, YUM rates highest using our Multi-Factor Investor model based on the published strategy of Pim van Vliet. This multi-factor model seeks low volatility stocks that also have strong momentum and high net payout yields.
YUM! BRANDS INC (YUM) is a large-cap growth stock in the Restaurants industry. The rating using this strategy is 87% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.
The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.
TWELVE MINUS ONE MOMENTUM:
NEUTRAL
Detailed Analysis of YUM! BRANDS INC
YUM Guru Analysis
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About Pim van Vliet: In investing, you typically need to take more risk to get more return. There is one major exception to this in the factor investing world, though. Low volatility stocks have been proven to outperform their high volatility counterparts, and do so with less risk. Pim van Vliet is the head of Conservative Equities at Robeco Asset Management. His research into conservative factor investing led to the creation of this strategy and the publication of the book "High Returns From Low Risk: A Remarkable Stock Market Paradox". Van Vliet holds a PhD in Financial and Business Economics from Erasmus University Rotterdam.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Guru Fundamental Report for YUM

Key Points
The company missed estimates on the top and bottom lines in the quarter.
The company named a new CEO in July, Tarun Lai, who's joining D&B from KFC.
Weak discretionary spending is also causing a headwind for Dave & Buster's.
Shares of Dave & Buster's Entertainment (NASDAQ: PLAY) were taking a dive today after the "eatertainment" chain missed estimates on the top and bottom lines.
As of 10:08 a.m. ET, the stock was down 16.2% on the news.
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Dave & Buster's falls behind
The arcade operator reported flat revenue in the quarter at $557.4 million, which missed estimates at $562.7 million. Comparable sales fell 3% in the period, showing that D&B appears to be losing customers.
On the bottom line, the results also disappointed as adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) fell from $151.6 million to $129.8 million. Adjusted earnings per share, meanwhile, fell from $1.12 to $0.40, which was well below the consensus at $0.92.
Dave & Buster's brought on a new CEO toward the end of the quarter. Tarun Lai comes to the company after serving as an executive at Yum! Brands for 25 years, most recently as president of KFC.
Lai said, "My immediate focus is clear: reinforce our guest-first culture, deliver memorable experiences, and drive meaningful growth in sales, cash flow, and shareholder value."
What's next for Dave & Buster's
Looking ahead, Dave & Buster's didn't offer guidance in the earnings release, but the appointment of a new CEO should offer some hope for a turnaround.
Restaurant chains have been broadly struggling this year due in part to weak consumer sentiment, concerns about tariffs, and a softening labor market, so that may partly explain Dave & Buster's challenges. However, the stock has struggled for years despite being the leader in its category.
If the new CEO can return the company to growth, the stock has significant upside potential, but that's likely to take time, if it happens.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Yum! Brands, Inc.

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