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.

Stock Ratings / Consumer Discretionary / YUM / options

CMG (71) QSR (50) DRI (64) YUMC (71) ⌘ Pro Terminal →

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

$157.60 +1.42% NYSE • Live Quote vs Prior Daily Close (Synced Snapshot) EXT / AFTER-HRS: $158.38

Yum! Brands Inc. (YUM) earns a Roarable Rating of B+ (Buy) with 76/100 RQD Confidence. High-quality cash engine (69.8% gross 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+ • BUY Cap $42.41B

📤 Share Live RQD Speedometer Card: 𝕏 Post Reddit StockTwits ⬇ Live SVG Card

⚡ INSTANT AI QUANT PREVIEW • $0 FREE TIER Click Any Pre-Computed AI Quant Specialist Briefing on YUM Below — or Connect Your Own ChatGPT / Claude

🤖 Mara Quenwick • AI Quant Lead (Click for Instant Brief) Is YUM stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell right now according to Roarable's RQD model?

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As of 2026-11-03, Yum! Brands Inc. (NYSE: YUM) is rated B+ (Buy / BUY) by Roarable's 5-pillar RQD engine with a composite confidence score of 76/100 at a spot price of $157.60 (+1.42% 1D, market cap $42.41B). Pillar breakdown: Fundamental Cash Engine 18/20, Institutional 13F & Options Flow 14/20, SEC Balance-Sheet Forensics 14/20, FRED Macro Regime Fit 14/20, and Executive Insider Alignment 16/20. Across 1009 tracked Consumer Discretionary issuers, YUM ranks #47 in composite RQD confidence.

✓ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief

🤖 Ellis Vennor • AI Peer & Flow Quant (Click for Instant Brief) How does YUM compare to CMG and QSR in the Consumer Discretionary sector?

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Within the Consumer Discretionary sector (Restaurants), YUM carries a Roarable B+ (76/100 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 B- grade (71/100 RQD, P/E 25.8x, ROIC 30.2%, cap $40.34B) and QSR (Restaurant Brands International Inc.) posts a D grade (50/100 RQD, P/E 30.9x, ROIC 12.6%, cap $32.68B). Among the 5-stock peer group, YUMC leads on earnings multiple (16.7x) while YUM leads on capital efficiency (60.3% ROIC).

✓ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief

🤖 Gideon Ashmere • AI SEC 10-K Forensics (Click for Instant Brief) What are the biggest fundamental strengths and SEC risk factors for YUM?

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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 (69.8% gross margin)—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.

✓ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief

🤖 AI Quant Disclosure: Roarable Analysts are proprietary AI Quant Specialists — not human financial advisors. Pre-computed one-to-many briefings above are free; interactive 1-on-1 Q&A, custom AI sifting/indicator alerts, and personal ChatGPT/Claude MCP connections require a $9.95/mo Pro account (currently waitlist-only).

INTERACTIVE SCENARIO DECK:

🛡️ Portfolio Crash X-Ray

EXT / AFTER-HRS: $158.39 (+0.50%)🧬 Cannibal Buyback (-2.36% YoY Shares)⚙️ Cash Engine: 18/20 (A) • 20% FCF Margin

Verify 90D Bucket Audit →

📊 Historical Track Record: Scores of 76/100 (B+) historically ranked in the Top 11% of excess returns over the next 90 days (+7.6% avg 90D alpha vs SPY • 70.0% hit rate).

Audit Bucket Track Record →

RQD QUANT TACHOMETERBUY • B+

3-of-3 JEV AI Jury Bullish

Cash

SEC

Whale

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

5-PILLAR SNOWFLAKE RADARRw B+ · Rk B-

Each axis scored 0–20

12M PRICE TARGET CONE+8.1% Base Target

WHALE OPTIONS SNAPSHOT: — (No Active Options Snapshot on file for YUM)Realized 20D OHLCV Swing Band: ±4.6%

Deterministic 5-Pillar Attribution (76/100 Composite)

🔍 WHY YUM SCORES 76/100 (B+) — TOP 3 DRIVERS2 Bullish Pillars + #1 Risk Drag

▲ #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

▲ #2 Bullish Driver: Insider Conviction & Share Dilution+16/20 pts (21% of score)

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

▼ #1 Drag / Risk Factor: Macro Regime Fit14/20 pts (-6 pt drag)

Macro rate sensitivity & RSI-14 (65.8) create a -6 pt regime headwind

📈 PAST 4 QUARTERS RQD vs SUBSEQUENT RETURNQ1 → Q2 → Q3 → Current

Q1 (-3Q)

Grade B-$146.69+3.1% Next Q

Q2 (-2Q)

Grade B$151.24-0.7% Next Q

Q3 (-1Q)

Grade B$150.16+5% Next Q

Current

Grade B+$157.60+7.6% Hist 90D α

Trajectory: B- (68) → B+ (76)Full Audit →

⚔️ ADVERSARIAL OPPOSING CASE & FORENSIC KILL-SWITCH (WHY THE BULL/BEAR THESIS COULD FAIL)GIDEON ASHMERE // FORENSIC SHORT & KILL-SWITCH DOSSIER

⚔️ Adversarial Opposing Case: Why the YUM Bull Thesis Could Fail

Gideon Ashmere Forensic Desk →

Even with a 76/100 (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) — 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 ($146.10) or 200D SMA ($153.40) invalidates the momentum regime and cuts Target Base ($170.37) toward Bear Floor ($129.23).

🎲 LIVE PREDICTION MARKET ODDS TIED TO $YUM• $2.4M Crowd Pool • Kalshi / Polymarket Composite

Contract: “YUM Beats Next Quarter EPS Consensus (Dec 30, 2026) & Holds Above 200D SMA”

YES 76%NO 24%Trade / Inspect Odds →

CALL VS. PUT WHALE SHARE

— (No Active Options Snapshot)

Put/Call Ratio: — (No Active Options Snapshot)

MAX-PAIN EXPIRATION MAGNET

— (No Active Options Snapshot)

No active options chain max-pain snapshot on file

HISTORICAL 20D VOLATILITY SWING

±4.6%

Derived from 20D OHLCV bars (No Active Options Snapshot)

Active Strike Call vs. Put Concentration Ladder (YUM)

— (No Active Options Snapshot) — 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

✓Institutional whale strikes & implied earnings move audit on YUM
✓How disciplined traders manage risk using pre-published trigger & invalidation levels
✓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: +2.07%📐 HORIZONTAL RANGE

2026-11-03O $154.6H $157.6L $154.6C $157.6VOL 2.17M

RES: $174.7SUP: $126.1SMA50: $146.1SMA200: $153.4

PRIMARY-SOURCE FORENSICS, SECOND-ORDER LINKS & AI ANALYST DESK

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

🦋 YUM Butterfly Map → + Track YUM →

Share Count & Dilution Monitor

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

Reverse-DCF Expectations Hurdle

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

No active Ellis Vennor swing setup published on YUM today. View full Setup Ledger →

🦋 Documented & Second-Order Butterfly Connections Open Graph →

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 →

DETERMINISTIC MULTI-FACTOR EQUITY AUDIT • SEC EDGAR XBRL × RQD PEER BENCHMARK

📊 Quantitative Sector Peer Comparison, SEC Filing Delta & Investment FAQ (YUM)

Consumer Discretionary Rank #47 of 1009 ⚔️ CMG vs YUM Full Matrix →

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

Industry: Restaurants (51 Tracked Issuers)

Across 1009 tracked Consumer Discretionary securities in the Roarable RQD universe, Yum! Brands Inc. (YUM) ranks #47 by composite RQD confidence (76/100, grade B+) and #48 by equity capitalization ($42.41B). 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 76/100 (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+	76/100	27.1x	69.8%	60.3%	+1.42%	$42.41B	Benchmark Subject
CMG Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc.	B-	71/100	25.8x	—	30.2%	+3.20%	$40.34B	/cmg-vs-yum →
QSR Restaurant Brands International Inc.	D	50/100	30.9x	—	12.6%	+3.08%	$32.68B	/qsr-vs-yum →
DRI Darden Restaurants Inc.	C	64/100	20.7x	20.3%	19.5%	+1.21%	$24.91B	/dri-vs-yum →
YUMC Yum China Holdings Inc.	B-	71/100	16.7x	—	14.9%	+2.84%	$15.68B	/yumc-vs-yum →

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

SEC EDGAR 10-K • FILED 2025-12-31 • 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)

✓ SCHEMA.ORG FAQPAGE JSON-LD ENABLED

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

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

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

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

YUM last traded at $157.60 (+1.42% on volume of 3,528,516 shares), positioning the stock +7.87% above its 50-day simple moving average ($146.10) and +2.74% above its 200-day simple moving average ($153.40). Across its 52-week range of $134.26 to $170.14, YUM sits at the 65.1% percentile with a 14-day RSI of 65.8 (BULLISH MOMENTUM) and an implied next-earnings move of ±4.6% ($150.35 to $164.85).

Direct Sub-Reports: YUM RQD Cockpit YUM 12M Forecast YUM Earnings & Move YUM Dividends & DRIP YUM Insiders & 13F YUM Whale Options YUM Profit Sankey YUM News & Why

ROARABLE RATING BRIEF • RQD 76/100 (B+) ✓ SEC XBRL & RQD VERIFIED

YUM — Yum! Brands Inc.: What the Facts Mean to a Prospective Investor

Methodology: RQD v6.2 Deterministic 5-Pillar & SEC XBRL Audit

Updated: 2025-12-31

1. Roarable Rating Brief: What This Means to a Prospective Investor

Yum! Brands Inc. (YUM) earns a live Roarable RQD composite score of 76/100, corresponding to a B+ letter grade (Roarable Buy) at a spot price of $157.60 (+1.42% 1D, market capitalization $42.41B).

Fundamental Cash Engine (18/20): Anchored by return on invested capital (ROIC) of 60.3%, gross margin of 69.8%, operating margin of 31.3%, and free cash flow yield of 3.89%.
Whale 13F & Options Flow (14/20) + Insider Conviction (16/20): Tracks institutional 13F accumulation, CBOE options call/put positioning, and SEC Form 4 / Congressional PTR filings.
Macro Regime Fit (14/20) + Forensic Balance Sheet (14/20): Incorporates a 1.07x equity beta, Altman Z-Score of 2.55, Piotroski F-Score of 9/9, and Debt/Equity of 0.85x.

2. Business Model, Unit Margins & SEC Financial Trajectory

Yum! Brands Inc. (YUM) is a NYSE-listed issuer in the Consumer Discretionary sector, Restaurants industry. It operates in restaurants with a market capitalization of $42.2B.8% and operating margin of 31.3% are the only operating descriptors provided.

In its latest audited SEC EDGAR 10-K filing for FY2025 (filed 2025-12-31), Yum! Brands Inc. (YUM) reported $8.21B in annual revenue (up from $7.55B in FY2024, +8.8% YoY) and $1.56B in GAAP net income. Over the multi-year SEC filing window from FY2023 ($7.08B revenue, $1.60B net income) through FY2025, YUM scaled operating cash flow to $2.01B and free cash flow to $1.64B, backed by $8.20B in total assets against $6.98B in total debt.

3. Institutional Bull vs. Bear Thesis & Valuation Tradeoff

🐂 Primary Bull Case (B+ • RQD 76/100): Strong cash generator (69.8% gross margin)—profits are backed by real money, not accounting tricks. Company leadership has skin in the game with net positive insider conviction. With Fundamental Cash Engine at 18/20 and Institutional Whale Flow at 14/20, sustained execution supports upside toward the upper end of the $134.26 – $170.14 52-week range.
🐻 Primary Bear Case & Valuation Risk: Broader market pullbacks can still drag down strong stocks in the short run. Investors must weigh 27.1x trailing P/E and 16.6x EV/EBITDA against 31.3% operating margins and a 1.07x macro beta.

4. 2nd-Order Butterfly Ripples & Key Questions to Watch

Sector classification is Consumer Discretionary / Restaurants. — 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.

Key Question #1: Can YUM sustain or expand its 31.3% operating margin and 60.3% ROIC against Restaurants peers over the next 4 quarters?
Key Question #2: Following FY2025 revenue of $8.21B and free cash flow of $1.64B, how will capital allocation balance growth reinvestment against $6.98B in total debt?
Key Question #3: How sensitive is YUM's 25.2x forward P/E multiple to Consumer Discretionary capital spending cycles and macro interest-rate shifts (Beta 1.07x)?

YUM Live News Feed, Press Releases & Catalyst Wire

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

💬 Jump to YUM Debate Forum (3) ↓

🟡 MARKET WIRE Yahoo Finance • 22h ago

Yum! Brands (YUM) Stock Looks Below Fair Value Despite Its 36% Run

Yahoo Finance report covering Yum! Brands Inc. (YUM) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟢 CATALYST Stocktwits • 1d ago

YUM Stock Eyes Second Straight Weekly Gain: Analyst Sees Upside From Yum Brands’ Global Expansion, Bets On Taco Bell And KFC

Stocktwits report covering Yum! Brands Inc. (YUM) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟡 MARKET WIRE 24/7 Wall St. • 1d ago

McDonald’s vs. Yum! Brands: Which Fast Food Dividend Has More Room to Grow?

24/7 Wall St. report covering Yum! Brands Inc. (YUM) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟡 MARKET WIRE Yahoo Finance • 1d ago

What You Need to Know Ahead of Yum! Brands' Earnings Release

Yahoo Finance report covering Yum! Brands Inc. (YUM) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟡 MARKET WIRE The Motley Fool • 1d ago

How to Buy KFC Stock (YUM) in 2026

The Motley Fool report covering Yum! Brands Inc. (YUM) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🔴 RISK WATCH 24/7 Wall St. • 1d ago

Chipotle Falls 5% as TD Cowen Downgrades, Cuts Target to $32; McDonald's and Yum! Brands Slip

24/7 Wall St. report covering Yum! Brands Inc. (YUM) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟡 MARKET WIRE Yahoo Finance • 1d ago

Yum! Brands (YUM) Could Be 23% Undervalued Following Its Taco Bell And KFC Refocus

Yahoo Finance report covering Yum! Brands Inc. (YUM) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟡 MARKET WIRE 24/7 Wall St. • 1d ago

3 Restaurant Stocks That Turn Burgers, Pizza and Pasta Into Dividend Income

24/7 Wall St. report covering Yum! Brands Inc. (YUM) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🔥 THE ROAR PIT • LIVE COMMUNITY DEBATE 3 Active Posts & Replies

YUM Bull vs. Bear Conversation Board — What's Your Call at $157.60?

🐂 67% BULLISH CONVICTION COMMUNITY TUG-OF-WAR ON YUM 🐻 33% BEARISH CONVICTION

BR BreakoutHunter RQD DEBATE OPENER • Swing & Catalyst Trader 🐂 BULLISH 🎯 Target: $195.80 (+26.0%)

📌 Pinned Debate

ROIC of 60.3% and a Piotroski F-Score of 9/9 show a high-return, financially sound cash engine.

Long YUM at $155.40 targeting $195.80. ROIC of 60.3% and a Piotroski F-Score of 9/9 show a high-return, financially sound cash engine.. Institutional whale score is 14/20 and the risk/reward vs. the $134.26 52-week low is skewed heavily in favor of bulls.

VolSurface_Trader 🐂 BULL

Both sides have a point here — YUM's 14/20 balance sheet score keeps downside contained, so the real swing factor next earnings call is backlog and FCF conversion.

SK SkepticalCFA RQD DEBATE OPENER • Fundamental Contrarian 🐻 BEARISH 🎯 Target: $127.43 (-18.0%)

Spot @ $155.40

Trailing P/E of 27.1 and debt rising from $5.43B to $6.98B leave limited margin for error on valuation and leverage.

Sitting on the sidelines or leaning short YUM above $155.40. Trailing P/E of 27.1 and debt rising from $5.43B to $6.98B leave limited margin for error on valuation and leverage.. Until Fundamental Cash Engine (18/20) and FCF yield (3.89%) inflect higher, upside is capped near $170.14.