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Yum! Brands (YUM) Stock Forecast & Price Target

Yum! Brands logo
$139.54 +2.57 (+1.87%)
As of 11:01 AM Eastern
This is a fair market value price provided by Massive. Learn more.

Yum! Brands - Analysts' Recommendations and Stock Price Forecast (2026)

Consensus Rating

Sell
0
Hold
8
Buy
13

Based on 21 Wall Street analysts who have issued ratings for Yum! Brands in the last 12 months, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy." Out of the 21 analysts, 8 have given a hold rating, and 13 have given a buy rating for YUM.

Consensus Price Target

$174.11
24.78% Upside
According to the 21 analysts' twelve-month price targets for Yum! Brands, the average price target is $174.11. The highest price target for YUM is $190.00, while the lowest price target for YUM is $150.00. The average price target represents a forecasted upside of 24.78% from the current price of $139.54.
MarketBeat calculates consensus analyst ratings for stocks using the most recent rating from each Wall Street analyst that has rated a stock within the last twelve months. Each analyst's rating is normalized to a standardized rating score of 1 (sell), 2 (hold), 3 (buy) or 4 (strong buy). Analyst consensus ratings scores are calculated using the mean average of the number of normalized sell, hold, buy and strong buy ratings from Wall Street analysts. Each stock's consensus analyst rating is derived from its calculated consensus ratings score (0 to .5 = Strong Sell, .5 to 1 = Sell, 1 to 1.5 = Reduce, 1.5 to 2.5 = Hold, 2.5 to 3.0 = Moderate Buy, 3.0 to 3.5 = Buy, >3.5 = Strong Buy). MarketBeat's consensus price targets are a mean average of the most recent available price targets set by each analyst that has set a price target for the stock in the last twelve months. MarketBeat's consensus ratings and consensus price targets may differ from those calculated by other firms due to differences in methodology and available data.
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YUM Analyst Ratings Over Time

TypeCurrent Forecast
10/6/25 to 10/6/26
1 Month Ago
9/6/25 to 9/6/26
3 Months Ago
7/8/25 to 7/8/26
1 Year Ago
10/6/24 to 10/6/25
Strong Buy
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
Buy
13 Buy rating(s)
12 Buy rating(s)
12 Buy rating(s)
11 Buy rating(s)
Hold
8 Hold rating(s)
7 Hold rating(s)
7 Hold rating(s)
12 Hold rating(s)
Sell
0 Sell rating(s)
1 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
Consensus Price Target$174.11$174.65$176.12$161.32
Forecasted Upside24.78% Upside15.98% Upside6.42% Upside8.42% Upside
Consensus RatingModerate BuyModerate BuyModerate BuyHold

YUM Analyst Recommendations By Month

The chart below shows how a company's ratings by analysts have changed over time. Each bar represents the previous year of ratings for that month. Within each bar, the sell ratings are shown in red, the hold ratings are shown in yellow, the buy ratings are shown in green, and the strong buy ratings are shown in dark green.
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YUM Price Targets by Month

The chart below shows how a company's share price and consensus price target have changed over time. The dark blue line represents the company's actual price. The lighter blue line represents the stock's consensus price target. The even lighter blue range in the background of the two lines represents the low price target and the high price target for each stock.
Skip Chart and View Analyst Price Target HistorySkip Chart & View Price History Table

Yum! Brands Stock vs. The Competition

TypeYum! BrandsConsumer Discretionary CompaniesBroader Market
Consensus Rating Score
2.62
2.19
2.53
Consensus RatingModerate BuyHoldModerate Buy
Predicted Upside27.06% Upside239.80% Upside20.68% Upside
News Sentiment Rating
Neutral News

See Recent YUM News
Neutral News
Neutral News
Report Date
0 Results
DateBrokerageAnalystActionRatingPrice TargetReport Date
Upside/Downside
Details
10/2/2026
Zacks Research logo
Zacks Research
4 of 5 stars
 UpgradeStrong Sell ➝ Hold
9/29/2026
John Ivankoe
John Ivankoe
2 of 5 stars
Lower TargetOverweight$160.00 ➝ $150.00+9.05%
9/24/2026
Argus logo
Argus
3 of 5 stars
John Staszak
John Staszak
3 of 5 stars
Reiterated RatingBuy ➝ Hold
9/16/2026Lower TargetOutperform$174.00 ➝ $165.00+17.11%
9/10/2026UpgradeEqual Weight ➝ Overweight$165.00 ➝ $175.00+20.66%
7/31/2026Boost TargetSector Perform$165.00 ➝ $170.00+10.25%
7/31/2026Reiterated RatingHold$174.00+12.78%
7/28/2026 DowngradeBuy (B) ➝ Buy (B-)
7/12/2026Boost TargetNeutral$175.00 ➝ $178.00+8.82%
6/18/2026 Reiterated RatingBuy
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6/16/2026 Reiterated RatingOutperform
6/16/2026Reiterated RatingBuy$180.00+13.61%
6/3/2026UpgradeEqual Weight ➝ Overweight$180.00 ➝ $185.00+26.22%
5/4/2026 Reiterated RatingMarket Perform$168.00+7.24%
2/12/2026Reiterated RatingBuy$180.00+13.11%
2/5/2026Set TargetOverweight$185.00+16.19%
1/8/2026UpgradeHold ➝ Buy
1/7/2026Reiterated RatingOverweight$179.00+18.17%
1/6/2026DowngradeOutperform ➝ Market Perform
12/5/2025Reiterated RatingNeutral
11/17/2025Set Target$160.00+8.07%
11/5/2025 Reiterated RatingBuy$177.00+18.88%
7/14/2025 Initiated CoverageBuy$200.00+33.50%
6/10/2025UpgradeNeutral ➝ Buy$145.00 ➝ $177.00+23.68%
4/30/2025Reiterated RatingHold$158.00 ➝ $158.00+7.05%
11/6/2024 Lower TargetHold$143.00 ➝ $140.00+4.69%
10/22/2024 Lower TargetNeutral$147.00 ➝ $145.00+8.66%

Analyst ratings data on MarketBeat is provided by Benzinga and other data providers. This page was last refreshed on Tuesday at 11:02 AM ET.


Should I Buy Yum! Brands Stock? YUM Pros and Cons Explained

These pros and cons were generated based on recent news and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate insights. They were last updated on Monday, October 5, 2026. Please send any questions or comments about these Yum! Brands pros and cons to contact@marketbeat.com.

Yum! Brands
Bull Case

green Wall Street bull icon

Here are some ways that investors could benefit from investing in Yum! Brands, Inc.:

  • The stock is currently trading at $137.04, which is near its 52-week low of $134.26, potentially offering a valuation entry point for long-term investors given the company's consistent earnings beats and strong cash flow generation.
  • Yum! Brands, Inc. recently reported Q2 earnings with an EPS of $1.62, exceeding the consensus estimate of $1.58, while revenue grew 12.2% year-over-year to $2.17 billion, demonstrating robust top-line growth and operational efficiency.
  • The company offers a dividend yield of 2.20% with a payout ratio of 37.74%, providing a stable income stream for investors while retaining sufficient capital for growth initiatives and share repurchases.
  • Management has authorized a $4.00 billion stock repurchase program, signaling confidence in the company's intrinsic value and providing a potential floor for the stock price through reduced share count.
  • Recent product innovations, such as the introduction of KFC's $3.49 Go Buckets designed for on-the-go snacking, indicate a strategic focus on capturing new consumer occasions and driving traffic growth in the quick-service segment.

Yum! Brands
Bear Case

red Wall Street bear icon

Investors should be bearish about investing in Yum! Brands, Inc. for these reasons:

  • Short interest has increased to 9,851,469 shares as of September 15, 2026, representing a 10.74% month-over-month rise, suggesting growing bearish sentiment among hedge funds and short sellers regarding the stock's future performance.
  • Several major financial institutions have recently lowered their price targets, including JPMorgan Chase & Co. cutting its target to $150.00 and Baird reducing its target to $158.00, reflecting concerns about the company's growth trajectory and valuation.
  • Insider selling activity has been notable, with CEO Scott Mezvinsky selling 241 shares on October 1, 2026, and other executives like Tracy Skeans and Christopher Lee Turner also reducing their positions, which may signal a lack of confidence in near-term stock appreciation.
  • The stock has experienced a significant decline from its 52-week high of $170.14 to its current level of $137.04, indicating a 19.4% drop that reflects broader market concerns about consumer spending and the restaurant sector's resilience.
  • Analyst ratings have become more mixed, with Zacks Research downgrading the stock to a "strong sell" rating in August 2026, highlighting potential risks in the company's franchise model and competitive positioning in the fast-food industry.

YUM Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

According to the research reports of 21 Wall Street equities research analysts, the average twelve-month stock price forecast for Yum! Brands is $174.11, with a high forecast of $190.00 and a low forecast of $150.00.

21 Wall Street equities research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Yum! Brands in the last year. There are currently 8 hold ratings and 13 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street equities research analysts is that investors should "moderate buy" YUM shares.

According to analysts, Yum! Brands's stock has a predicted upside of 24.78% based on their 12-month stock forecasts.

Over the previous 90 days, Yum! Brands's stock had 3 upgrades and 2 downgrades by analysts.

Analysts like Yum! Brands more than other "consumer discretionary" companies. The consensus rating for Yum! Brands is Moderate Buy while the average consensus rating for "consumer discretionary" companies is Hold. Learn more on how YUM compares to other companies.


MarketBeat monitors more than a dozen sources for Yum! Brands analyst ratings, with the most recent rating issued on 10/2/2026.
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