Yum! Brands stock holds near $145 after Q2 beat
Published on 08/18/2026 at 19:17 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Yum! Brands stock held near $145 on August 17, 2026, after second-quarter 2026 earnings showed $1.62 per share on $2.17 billion in revenue, both dated July 30, 2026 and still shaping trading today.
The quarter matters because EPS beat the $1.58 consensus by $0.04, while revenue rose 12.2% from a year earlier and came in just below the $2.18 billion estimate.
Q2 numbers set the tone
Market data in the latest trading snapshot put Yum! Brands at $145.36, with a market value of $39.67 billion and a 52-week range of $137.33 to $170.14. The stock's opening level of $145.36 leaves it far below the top of that range.
Those figures line up with a company that still screens as profitable and steady on valuation, with a P/E ratio of 18.28 and a PEG ratio of 2.40 in the same market snapshot. The comparison is clear: revenue growth of 12.2% was strong, but the quarter still landed $10 million below the sales forecast.
What investors are reading
Sell-side expectations in the current market data point to $6.42 in earnings per share for the full year, giving investors a simple yardstick against the last reported $1.62 quarterly print. That leaves the next catalyst tied to whether recent menu and traffic trends can keep sales growth above the 12.2% pace seen in the June quarter.
One current trading view puts the stock at $145.34 with a market cap of $39.68 billion and EPS TTM of 6.24, which keeps the shares in a middle-ground zone between the low $130s and the mid-$160s. The range is tight enough to matter for anyone watching resistance near the 52-week high.
Taco Bell still drives the story
Taco Bell remains the most visible product engine inside Yum! Brands, and its pricing power matters because the chain is the clearest lever on same-store sales and margin tone. That is why the $2.17 billion quarter and the 12.2% revenue rise matter beyond a single release.
Shares and valuation
Yum! Brands shares last traded at $145.36 on August 17, 2026, with market value around $39.67 billion and a 52-week high of $170.14. The stock is pricing in continued growth, but the latest quarter shows the path still depends on execution rather than multiple expansion.
Fact box
Company: Yum! Brands, Inc.
ISIN: US9884981013
Ticker: YUM
Exchange: NYSE
Price (as of August 17, 2026, 4:00 p.m. ET): $145.36 USD
Market cap: $39.67 billion (as of August 18, 2026)
Sector / Industry: Consumer Discretionary / Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure
Index membership: S&P 500
