CEO David Novak

Yum Brands Inc. maintained its full-year adjusted earnings forecast Friday, helped by strong performances from its Yum Restaurants International business and operations in China. The restaurant operator — whose brands include Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and KFC — anticipates 12 percent growth in earnings per share for the year, excluding special items. It posted 2008 earnings of $1.96 per share, which would imply a 2009 profit of about $2.20 per share. Chairman and CEO David Novak said in a statement that the company's performance has benefited from favorable commodity costs, a lower tax rate and improved productivity. Yum anticipates 10 percent growth in earnings ... Read Full Story

Yum Brands Inc. is scheduled to report its earnings for its fiscal third quarter on Tuesday after the market closes. The following is a summary of key developments and analyst opinion related to the period. OVERVIEW: Restaurant operator Yum Brands Inc. has consistently logged strong growth in earnings per share and has predicted a 10 percent increase for the full year over the prior year. But this year is shaping up as challenging. The Louisville, Ky.-based operator of Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut lowered its sales forecasts for two key markets — China and the United States — in the summer. But Yum ... Read Full Story

Even though Yum Brands Inc. reported that its third-quarter profit rose 18 percent, the restaurant operator's stock slipped Wednesday after it said U.S. sales are causing it heartburn as consumers keep cooking at home to save money. The shares fell 1.7 percent, or 58 cents, in midday trading Wednesday to $34.28. The owner of Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut said Wednesday that an overall 6 percent drop in sales at its U.S. restaurants that have been open at least a year could be followed by even weaker sales in the final three months of 2009. "We now expect the fourth quarter to be ... Read Full Story

Chain restaurant operator Yum Brands Inc. says its fiscal third-quarter profit climbed 18 percent. The company that owns Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut reported Tuesday that it earned $334 million, or 69 cents per share, for the period with help from a strong performance in China. That compares with a profit of $282 million, or 58 cents per share, during the same period last year. Excluding one-time items, the company's quarterly profit amounted to 70 cents per share. Analysts expected Yum to earn 58 cents per share, excluding one-time items, on revenue of $2.79 billion. Revenue for the quarter fell 2 percent to ... Read Full Story

Yum Brands Inc. reports earnings for the fiscal second quarter on Tuesday. The following is a summary of key developments and analyst opinion related to the period. OVERVIEW: Yum Brands, operator of the Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and KFC chains, has had mixed results as the stronger dollar cut into overseas revenue while costs in its U.S. operations moderated as commodity prices eased. The fast-food company has benefited from customers seeking cheaper alternatives to sit-down restaurants, but the weak economy has hampered dinner business at Pizza Hut and KFC. The company said in the spring that its second-quarter results will likely be the "low ... Read Full Story