Yum! Brands Inc saw a price increase of 3.07%, reaching a 20-day high, despite the Nasdaq-100 and S&P 500 showing slight declines of 0.19% and 0.10%, respectively.
This rise is attributed to Yum China's announcement of a share repurchase plan totaling approximately $460 million, which is part of a broader strategy to return $1.5 billion to shareholders in 2026. The company's commitment to enhancing shareholder value and confidence is evident, especially with the increased repurchase authorization to $5.4 billion, reflecting strong confidence in future returns.
The implications of these announcements suggest a robust outlook for Yum! Brands, as the share repurchase plans are likely to attract investor interest and enhance market confidence in the company's long-term growth potential.
Wall Street analysts forecast YUM stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for YUM is 164.33 USD with a low forecast of 145.00 USD and a high forecast of 185.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
21 Analyst Rating
Wall Street analysts forecast YUM stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for YUM is 164.33 USD with a low forecast of 145.00 USD and a high forecast of 185.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
7 Buy
14 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 153.880
Low
145.00
Averages
164.33
High
185.00
Current: 153.880
Low
145.00
Averages
164.33
High
185.00
BofA
Neutral
maintain
$156 -> $173
2026-01-26
New
Reason
BofA
Price Target
$156 -> $173
AI Analysis
2026-01-26
New
maintain
Neutral
Reason
BofA raised the firm's price target on Yum! Brands to $173 from $156 and keeps a Neutral rating on the shares. The firm is fine-tuning estimates for 22 restaurant companies across its coverage and adjusting select price targets to reflect estimate and valuation multiple changes.
Citi
Neutral
maintain
$164 -> $170
2026-01-22
Reason
Citi
Price Target
$164 -> $170
2026-01-22
maintain
Neutral
Reason
Citi raised the firm's price target on Yum! Brands to $170 from $164 and keeps a Neutral rating on the shares ahead of the Q4 report. The firm expects "constructive" updates on the company's core brands. However, Citi thinks the shares will remain range-bound.
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Morgan Stanley
Brian Harbour
Equal Weight
maintain
$165 -> $176
2026-01-20
Reason
Morgan Stanley
Brian Harbour
Price Target
$165 -> $176
2026-01-20
maintain
Equal Weight
Reason
Morgan Stanley analyst Brian Harbour raised the firm's price target on Yum! Brands to $176 from $165 and keeps an Equal Weight rating on the shares as part of the firm's 2026 outlook note on its restaurants and foodservice distributors coverage.
Gordon Haskett
Gordon Haskett
Hold
to
Buy
upgrade
$176
2026-01-08
Reason
Gordon Haskett
Gordon Haskett
Price Target
$176
2026-01-08
upgrade
Hold
to
Buy
Reason
As previously reported, Gordon Haskett upgraded Yum! Brands to Buy from Hold with a $176 price target, citing the potential of divesting its "lowest-performing same-store sales and unit growth concept," Pizza Hut.
About YUM
YUM! Brands, Inc. and its subsidiaries franchise or operate a system of approximately 61,000 restaurants in 155 countries and territories under the concepts of KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and The Habit Burger Grill. It consists of four operating segments: The KFC Division, which includes its worldwide operations of the KFC concept; The Taco Bell Division, which includes its worldwide operations of the Taco Bell concept; The Pizza Hut Division, which includes its worldwide operations of the Pizza Hut concept; and The Habit Burger Grill Division, which includes its worldwide operations of the Habit Burger Grill concept. It develops, operates, or franchises a system of both traditional and non-traditional restaurants. KFC restaurants offer fried and non-fried chicken products. Taco Bell offers Mexican-style food products. Pizza Hut specializes in the sale of ready-to-eat pizza products. The Habit Burger Grill offers chargrilled burgers and sandwiches made-to-order over an open flame.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
