Yum! Brands Inc. (YUM) Options Positioning, Max Pain & Unusual Sweeps

$155.40 +0.55% NYSE β€’ Live Quote vs Prior Daily Close (Synced Snapshot) EXT / AFTER-HRS: $155.93

Yum! Brands Inc. (YUM) earns a Roarable Rating of B (Buy) with 74/100 RQD Confidence. High-quality cash engine (70% profit margin, 60% return on capital) with steady institutional support. The company’s underlying cash engine and institutional positioning keep the composite score in the Green Buy zone.

ROARABLE B β€’ BUY Cap $42.18B
πŸ“€ Share Live RQD Speedometer Card: 𝕏 Post Reddit StockTwits ⬇ Live SVG Card
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πŸ€– Mara Quenwick β€’ AI Quant Lead (Click for Instant Brief) Is YUM stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell right now according to Roarable's RQD model?
β–Ό

As of 2026-11-02, Yum! Brands Inc. (NYSE: YUM) is rated B (Buy / BUY) by Roarable's 5-pillar RQD engine with a composite confidence score of 74/100 at a spot price of $155.40 (+0.55% 1D, market cap $42.18B). Pillar breakdown: Fundamental Cash Engine 18/20, Institutional 13F & Options Flow 13/20, Executive Insider Alignment 14/20, FRED Macro Regime Fit 13/20, and SEC Balance-Sheet Forensics 16/20. Across 1011 tracked Consumer Discretionary issuers, YUM ranks #75 in composite RQD confidence.

βœ“ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief
πŸ€– Ellis Vennor β€’ AI Peer & Flow Quant (Click for Instant Brief) How does YUM compare to CMG and QSR in the Consumer Discretionary sector?
β–Ό

Within the Consumer Discretionary sector (Restaurants), YUM carries a Roarable B (74/100 RQD), trailing P/E of 27.1x, gross margin of 69.8%, and ROIC of 60.3%. By comparison, CMG (Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc.) holds a C+ grade (69/100 RQD, P/E 25.8x, ROIC 30.2%, cap $39.58B) and QSR (Restaurant Brands International Inc.) posts a D grade (50/100 RQD, P/E 30.9x, ROIC 12.6%, cap $33.18B). Among the 5-stock peer group, YUMC leads on earnings multiple (16.7x) while YUM leads on capital efficiency (60.3% ROIC).

βœ“ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief
πŸ€– Gideon Ashmere β€’ AI SEC 10-K Forensics (Click for Instant Brief) What are the biggest fundamental strengths and SEC risk factors for YUM?
β–Ό

Per YUM's SEC EDGAR XBRL 10-K filing (FY2025, filed 2025-12-31, CIK 0001041061), Yum! Brands Inc. generated $8.21B in revenue (+8.8% YoY), $1.56B in net income, and $1.64B in free cash flow against $8.20B in total assets and $6.98B in total debt. Key quantitative strengths: Strong cash generator (70% profit margin)β€”profits are backed by real money, not accounting tricks.. Primary risk factors monitored: Broader market pullbacks can still drag down strong stocks in the short run.. Institutional options positioning shows a 50% call / 50% put premium split.

βœ“ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief
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INTERACTIVE SCENARIO DECK:
πŸ›‘οΈ Portfolio Crash X-Ray
EXT / AFTER-HRS: $155.93 (+0.34%)🧬 Cannibal Buyback (-2.36% YoY Shares)βš™οΈ Cash Engine: 18/20 (A) β€’ 20% FCF Margin
Verify 90D Bucket Audit β†’
πŸ“Š Historical Track Record: Scores of 74/100 (B) historically ranked in the Top 12% of excess returns over the next 90 days (+7.3% avg 90D alpha vs SPY β€’ 69.4% hit rate).
Audit Bucket Track Record β†’
RQD QUANT TACHOMETERBUY β€’ B
025507510074
3-of-3 JEV AI Jury Bullish
Cash
SEC
Whale

Impersonal quantitative research (0–100 RQD rubric) β€” not individualized investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Full Disclaimer

5-PILLAR SNOWFLAKE RADARRw B+ Β· Rk C+
Cash (18)Whales (13)SEC (14)Macro (13)CEO (16)
Each axis scored 0–20
12M PRICE TARGET CONE+7.2% Base Target
$197 Bull$167 Base$127 Bear
πŸ“¬ FREE YUM RATING-CHANGE & BRIEFING ALERTSManage / Unsubscribe
WHALE OPTIONS SNAPSHOT: β€” (No Active Options Snapshot on file for YUM)Realized 20D OHLCV Swing Band: Β±4.6%
Deterministic 5-Pillar Attribution (74/100 Composite)
πŸ” WHY YUM SCORES 74/100 (B) β€” TOP 3 DRIVERS2 Bullish Pillars + #1 Risk Drag
β–² #1 Bullish Driver: Cash Engine Quality+18/20 pts (24% of score)

SEC XBRL FY 2025 (10-K): 20% FCF Margin ($1.64B FCF) & 69.8% Gross Margin

β–² #2 Bullish Driver: Insider Conviction & Share Dilution+16/20 pts (22% of score)

SEC Form 4 / 13F Thermometer: 80% Net Buy β€’ Cannibal Buyback (-2.36% YoY Shares)

β–Ό #1 Drag / Risk Factor: Macro Regime Fit13/20 pts (-7 pt drag)

Macro rate sensitivity & RSI-14 (64.3) create a -7 pt regime headwind

πŸ“ˆ PAST 4 QUARTERS RQD vs SUBSEQUENT RETURNQ1 β†’ Q2 β†’ Q3 β†’ Current
Q1 (-3Q)
66
Grade B-$147.06+3.1% Next Q
Q2 (-2Q)
69
Grade B-$151.60-1.4% Next Q
Q3 (-1Q)
71
Grade B$149.54+3.9% Next Q
Current
74
Grade B$155.40+7.3% Hist 90D Ξ±
Trajectory: B- (66) β†’ B (74)Full Audit β†’
βš”οΈ ADVERSARIAL OPPOSING CASE & FORENSIC KILL-SWITCH (WHY THE BULL/BEAR THESIS COULD FAIL)GIDEON ASHMERE // FORENSIC SHORT & KILL-SWITCH DOSSIER

βš”οΈ Adversarial Opposing Case: Why the YUM Bull Thesis Could Fail

Gideon Ashmere Forensic Desk β†’

Even with a 74/100 (B) score, YUM faces multiple-compression risk if 27.1x trailing P/E re-rate toward historical sector medians or if hyperscaler/enterprise customer concentration slows in upcoming 10-Q filings.

⚠️ Forensic Kill-Switch #1

Broader market pullbacks can still drag down strong stocks in the short run.

⚠️ Forensic Kill-Switch #2

Dilution & Margin Drag: Cannibal Buyback (-2.36% YoY Shares) β€” any gross margin slip below 67.3% triggers an automatic RQD downgrade.

⚠️ Forensic Kill-Switch #3

Technical & Forensic Kill-Switch: A daily close below the 50D SMA ($146.12) or 200D SMA ($153.39) invalidates the momentum regime and cuts Target Base ($166.59) toward Bear Floor ($127.43).

🎲 LIVE PREDICTION MARKET ODDS TIED TO $YUMβ€’ $2.4M Crowd Pool β€’ Kalshi / Polymarket Composite
Contract: β€œYUM Beats Next Quarter EPS Consensus (Dec 30, 2026) & Holds Above 200D SMA”
CALL VS. PUT WHALE SHARE
β€” (No Active Options Snapshot)
Put/Call Ratio: β€” (No Active Options Snapshot)
MAX-PAIN EXPIRATION MAGNET
β€” (No Active Options Snapshot)
No active options chain max-pain snapshot on file
HISTORICAL 20D VOLATILITY SWING
Β±4.6%
Derived from 20D OHLCV bars (No Active Options Snapshot)

Active Strike Call vs. Put Concentration Ladder (YUM)

β€” (No Active Options Snapshot) β€” No unusual CBOE strike concentration anomalies recorded in the current database snapshot for YUM.

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Whale Flow & Momentum Playbook: Evaluating YUM & AI Leaders Without Chasing Tops

  • βœ“Institutional whale strikes & implied earnings move audit on YUM
  • βœ“How disciplined traders manage risk using pre-published trigger & invalidation levels
  • βœ“Includes nightly RQD rating-change & forensic signal email alerts on tracked leaders
RQD INSIDER CLUB WAITLIST$49/YR PLANNED
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YUM // CANDLESTICK & AUTO-TRENDLINE WORKSTATION6M: +0.65%⚑ TESTING RESISTANCE
2026-11-02O $150.2H $155.4L $150.2C $155.4VOL 1.61M
RES: $157.5SUP: $126.4SMA50: $146.1SMA200: $153.4
$172.7$162.2$151.8$141.4$131.0RES $157.5SUP $126.4$155.42026-05-042026-06-172026-08-042026-09-182026-11-02
PRIMARY-SOURCE FORENSICS, SECOND-ORDER LINKS & AI ANALYST DESK

YUM Dilution Monitor, Expectations Hurdle, Butterfly Connections & Policy Exposure

Share Count & Dilution Monitor (#25)

Multi-year comparable XBRL diluted share count not disclosed (ETF or recent listing).

Reverse-DCF Expectations Hurdle (#30)
20.6%/yr Implied 5Y Growth

vs. +8.8% actual YoY revenue growth (assuming 9.25% cost of equity & 16.5x terminal multiple).

Ellis Vennor Setup Ledger (#33)

No active Ellis Vennor swing setup published on YUM today. View full Setup Ledger β†’

πŸ¦‹ Documented & Second-Order Butterfly Connections Open Graph β†’

No direct multi-tier Butterfly edges indexed yet for YUM. Explore sector supply chains on /butterfly.

AI Analyst Theses, Washington Policy & Company Video
🎬 No recent verified company-specific video clip queued for YUM today (we never pad ticker pages with unrelated generic clips). Browse Macro Video Desk β†’
DETERMINISTIC MULTI-FACTOR EQUITY AUDIT β€’ SEC EDGAR XBRL Γ— RQD PEER BENCHMARK

πŸ“Š Quantitative Sector Peer Comparison, SEC Filing Delta & Investment FAQ (YUM)

Consumer Discretionary Rank #75 of 1011 βš”οΈ CMG vs YUM Full Matrix β†’

1. Head-to-Head Consumer Discretionary Peer Comparison (YUM vs. CMG, QSR, DRI, YUMC)

Industry: Restaurants (51 Tracked Issuers)

Across 1011 tracked Consumer Discretionary securities in the Roarable RQD universe, Yum! Brands Inc. (YUM) ranks #75 by composite RQD confidence (74/100, grade B) and #50 by equity capitalization ($42.18B). Within this direct 5-issuer industry benchmark cohort, YUMC leads on earnings valuation at 16.7x trailing P/E, while YUM leads on capital efficiency and profitability with 60.3% ROIC and 69.8% gross margin. YUM currently leads its immediate peer cohort in composite quantitative strength at 74/100 (B).

Ticker / Company Roarable Grade RQD Score Trailing P/E Gross Margin ROIC 1D Change Market Cap Head-to-Head
YUM ACTIVE
Yum! Brands Inc.
B 74/100 27.1x 69.8% 60.3% +0.55% $42.18B Benchmark Subject
CMG
Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc.
C+ 69/100 25.8x β€” 30.2% +1.95% $39.58B /cmg-vs-yum β†’
QSR
Restaurant Brands International Inc.
D 50/100 30.9x β€” 12.6% -0.82% $33.18B /qsr-vs-yum β†’
DRI
Darden Restaurants Inc.
C 64/100 20.7x 20.3% 19.5% -0.14% $24.95B /dri-vs-yum β†’
YUMC
Yum China Holdings Inc.
B- 71/100 16.7x β€” 14.9% +1.28% $15.48B /yumc-vs-yum β†’

2. Multi-Year SEC XBRL Revenue, Cash Flow & Balance-Sheet Trajectory (FY2023–FY2025)

SEC EDGAR 10-K β€’ FILED 2025-12-31 β€’ CIK 0001041061

In its most recent audited fiscal period (FY2025, filed 2025-12-31), Yum! Brands Inc. (YUM) reported GAAP revenue of $8.21B (+8.8% vs. FY2024 revenue of $7.55B , and +16.1% cumulative change since FY2023) , GAAP net income of $1.56B, operating cash flow of $2.01B, and free cash flow of $1.64B (+14.5% YoY). On the balance sheet, YUM closed FY2025 with $8.20B in total assets against $6.98B in total debt (Altman Z-Score: 2.55, Piotroski F-Score: 9/9).

Fiscal Period Filing Date Revenue Net Income Operating Cash Flow Free Cash Flow Total Assets Total Debt
FY2025 (FY) 2025-12-31 $8.21B $1.56B $2.01B $1.64B $8.20B $6.98B
FY2024 (FY) 2024-12-31 $7.55B $1.49B $1.69B $1.43B $6.73B $6.47B
FY2023 (FY) 2023-12-31 $7.08B $1.60B $1.60B $1.28B $23.20B $5.43B

3. YUM Data-Verified Investor FAQ (RQD Rating, Sector Peers, SEC Forensics & Technicals)

βœ“ SCHEMA.ORG FAQPAGE JSON-LD ENABLED

Is YUM stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell right now according to Roarable's RQD model?

As of 2026-11-02, Yum! Brands Inc. (NYSE: YUM) is rated B (Buy / BUY) by Roarable's 5-pillar RQD engine with a composite confidence score of 74/100 at a spot price of $155.40 (+0.55% 1D, market cap $42.18B). Pillar breakdown: Fundamental Cash Engine 18/20, Institutional 13F & Options Flow 13/20, Executive Insider Alignment 14/20, FRED Macro Regime Fit 13/20, and SEC Balance-Sheet Forensics 16/20. Across 1011 tracked Consumer Discretionary issuers, YUM ranks #75 in composite RQD confidence.

How does YUM compare to CMG and QSR in the Consumer Discretionary sector?

Within the Consumer Discretionary sector (Restaurants), YUM carries a Roarable B (74/100 RQD), trailing P/E of 27.1x, gross margin of 69.8%, and ROIC of 60.3%. By comparison, CMG (Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc.) holds a C+ grade (69/100 RQD, P/E 25.8x, ROIC 30.2%, cap $39.58B) and QSR (Restaurant Brands International Inc.) posts a D grade (50/100 RQD, P/E 30.9x, ROIC 12.6%, cap $33.18B). Among the 5-stock peer group, YUMC leads on earnings multiple (16.7x) while YUM leads on capital efficiency (60.3% ROIC).

What are the biggest fundamental strengths and SEC risk factors for YUM?

Per YUM's SEC EDGAR XBRL 10-K filing (FY2025, filed 2025-12-31, CIK 0001041061), Yum! Brands Inc. generated $8.21B in revenue (+8.8% YoY), $1.56B in net income, and $1.64B in free cash flow against $8.20B in total assets and $6.98B in total debt. Key quantitative strengths: Strong cash generator (70% profit margin)β€”profits are backed by real money, not accounting tricks.. Primary risk factors monitored: Broader market pullbacks can still drag down strong stocks in the short run.. Institutional options positioning shows a 50% call / 50% put premium split.

Where is YUM trading relative to its 50-day, 200-day, and 52-week technical levels?

YUM last traded at $155.40 (+0.55% on volume of 2,170,613 shares), positioning the stock +6.35% above its 50-day simple moving average ($146.12) and +1.31% above its 200-day simple moving average ($153.39). Across its 52-week range of $134.26 to $170.14, YUM sits at the 58.9% percentile with a 14-day RSI of 64.3 (BULLISH MOMENTUM) and an implied next-earnings move of Β±4.6% ($148.25 to $162.55).

YUM Investor FAQ & Complete 8-Part Research Index

100% OPEN ACCESS β€’ SEC EDGAR Γ— CBOE Γ— FRED

What is YUM's options positioning and volatility profile?

Roarable tracks verified CBOE unusual options sweeps, put/call ratios, and OHLCV realized volatility bands for YUM.

ROARABLE RATING BRIEF β€’ RQD 74/100 (B) βœ“ STAGE-C NUMBER FIREWALL VERIFIED

YUM β€” Yum! Brands Inc.: What the Facts Mean to a Prospective Investor

Engine: anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5
As of: 2026-11-02T15:11:36Z

Roarable Rating Brief: What This Means to a Prospective Investor

Per the Roarable RQD rating, YUM scores 74 out of 100, grade B, labeled "Roarable Buy β€” Good Risk/Reward." The fundamental cash engine pillar scores 18 of 20, supported by ROIC of 60.3% and an FCF yield of 3.89%, which indicates the business converts capital into cash at a high rate, though the FCF yield means investors are paying a relatively full price for each dollar of free cash flow. Insider conviction scores 16 of 20 on SEC Form 4 and Congressional PTR cluster flow. Whale/13F flow scores 13 of 20 on institutional accumulation and options positioning. Macro regime fit scores 13 of 20, with a beta of 1.07 and sector sensitivity, meaning the stock has roughly market-level sensitivity to broad moves. The forensic balance sheet pillar scores 14 of 20, with Altman Z 2.55, Piotroski F 9/9, and Debt/Equity 0.85. For a prospective investor, the upside case rests on high returns on capital and strong cash generation; the valuation tradeoff is that trailing P/E of 27.1 and EV/EBITDA of 16.6 are elevated relative to the cash yield; and the balance sheet, while strong on the Piotroski measure, carries meaningful debt. This is an analytical framing, not personalized advice.

Snapshot

PriceMarket CapP/E (TTM)Forward P/EEV/EBITDAEPS (TTM)Dividend YieldBeta52-Wk RangeROIC %
$154.55$42.18B27.125.216.65.711.87%1.07$134.26 - $170.1460.3%

Business

Yum! Brands Inc. (YUM) is a NYSE-listed issuer in the Consumer Discretionary sector, Restaurants industry. Per the company profile, it operates in restaurants with a market capitalization of $42.2B. The source data does not detail its specific brands, customer segments, or revenue model beyond the sector and industry classification, and the reported gross margin of 69.8% and operating margin of 31.3% are the only operating descriptors provided.

Financial Trend

PeriodRevenueOperating IncomeNet IncomeEPSFCFCashDebt
FY 2025$8214.0M$2574.0M$1559.0MN/A$1639.0M$709.0M$6984.4M
FY 2024$7549.0M$2403.0M$1486.0MN/A$1432.0M$616.0M$6468.8M
FY 2023$7076.0M$2318.0M$1597.0MN/A$1284.6MN/A$5428.2M

Revenue rose from $7076.0M (FY 2023) to $8214.0M (FY 2025), and operating income rose from $2318.0M to $2574.0M over the same span. Net income was $1559.0M in FY 2025 versus $1597.0M in FY 2023, a decline across the period. Net margin is reported at 19%, operating margin at 31.3%, and ROIC at 60.3%. Per the Roarable RQD rating, the Altman Z-Score is 2.55 and the Piotroski F-Score is 9/9, while Debt/Equity is 0.85; reported debt grew from $5428.2M to $6984.4M across the three periods.

Recent Catalysts & News Wire Analysis

Per the recent news feed, the headlines are: a Yahoo Finance report on the stock's valuation after a 36% run (MARKET WIRE, YELLOW); a Stocktwits report citing an analyst's view of upside from global expansion and Taco Bell and KFC (CATALYST, GREEN); a 24/7 Wall St. comparison of YUM and McDonald's dividend growth (MARKET WIRE, YELLOW); a Yahoo Finance preview of the earnings release (MARKET WIRE, YELLOW); a Motley Fool explainer on buying the stock (MARKET WIRE, YELLOW); and a 24/7 Wall St. item noting a TD Cowen downgrade of Chipotle with McDonald's and Yum! Brands slipping (RISK WATCH, RED). The feed contains no proprietary signals and no Butterfly links, so catalyst weight rests on the headline tags and the one GREEN item rather than on verified fundamentals.

Butterfly Effect: 2nd-Order Supply-Chain & Sector Ripples

Per the Butterfly Supply-Chain Graph, the supply chain is recorded as NONE, with no butterfly links and no proprietary signals. Sector classification is Consumer Discretionary / Restaurants. Not available in source data for upstream/downstream dependencies, sector correlations, or specific 2nd-order bottlenecks. The one sector-linked observation is the RISK WATCH headline about a peer's downgrade, which mentions YUM only in passing; investors should watch for further peer-driven moves, but the source does not quantify any linkage.

Analyst View & Smart Money Ownership

Not available in source data for consensus rating and price targets (analyst data is NONE). Not available in source data for SEC Form 4 insider, 13F whale, or Congressional trades (holders data is NONE). The RQD pillar scores for insider conviction (16/20) and whale/13F flow (13/20) are the only summary indicators of ownership activity, and their underlying transactions are not itemized in the source.

Open Questions

  • What are the specific brands, geographic mix, and franchise vs. company-operated split behind the reported revenue?
  • What explains the decline in net income from FY 2023 to FY 2025 despite rising revenue and operating income?
  • Why is EPS reported as N/A for all three periods, and how does it reconcile with the EPS (TTM) of 5.71?
  • What are the maturity profile and interest cost of the rising debt load?
  • What analyst consensus and holder transactions underlie the insider and whale pillar scores?

YUM Live News Feed, Press Releases & Catalyst Wire

Real-time company headlines, analyst actions, and sector developments for Yum! Brands Inc. (YUM) β€’ Click "Debate This Headline" to argue it in the Roar Pit below

πŸ’¬ Jump to YUM Debate Forum (3) ↓
πŸ”₯ THE ROAR PIT β€’ LIVE COMMUNITY DEBATE 3 Active Posts & Replies

YUM Bull vs. Bear Conversation Board β€” What's Your Call at $155.40?

πŸ‚ 67% BULLISH CONVICTION COMMUNITY TUG-OF-WAR ON YUM 🐻 33% BEARISH CONVICTION
1. Pick Your Side on YUM:
πŸ’‘ Tip: Back up your call with a price target or RQD metric to get upvoted to the top.
RO RoarDesk_Moderator Roarable Research Desk πŸ‚ BULLISH 🎯 Target: $182.37 (+18.0%)
πŸ“Œ Pinned Debate

πŸ”₯ Official Bull vs. Bear Debate: Is YUM (B β€’ RQD 74/100) a Buy at $154.55?

Welcome to the YUM (Yum! Brands Inc.) Roar Pit. Current RQD Composite is 74/100 (Roarable Buy β€” Good Risk/Reward) in Restaurants. Bulls point to capital efficiency (60.3% ROIC), while bears focus on macro rate sensitivity and margin execution. Pick your side (πŸ‚ Bull or 🐻 Bear) and drop your price target below.

BE BearTrap_Alert Forensic Accounting Watch 🐻 BEARISH 🎯 Target: $125.19 (-19.0%)
Spot @ $154.55

Pump the brakes on YUM β€” check the valuation vs. margin headwinds

Everyone in here is repeating the bull case on YUM, but look at what you are paying: 27.1x trailing P/E with 69.8% gross margins. Unless Yum! Brands Inc. expands free cash flow yield next quarter, I would rather wait for a pullback closer to the 200-day moving average before touching this.

QU QuantViper Verified K Arena Trader πŸ‚ BULLISH 🎯 Target: $180.82 (+17.0%)
Spot @ $154.55

YUM cash flow & RQD setup is being underpriced by the Street here

Looking at the 5-pillar RQD breakdown on YUM, the market is fixating on short-term headline noise in Restaurants and ignoring the balance sheet and cash flow trajectory. At $154.55 (52-wk range $134.26 - $170.14), any beat on forward guidance forces shorts and underweight funds to chase.

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