Yum! Brands 10-K 2025-12-31
Filed 2026-02-20. 23 sections, 598K characters. Original on sec.gov · Markdown · JSON
Cover and table of contents
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D. C. 20549
FORM 10-K
| ☒ | ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES | ||||||||||
| EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 for the fiscal year ended | December 31, 2025 | ||||||||||
| OR | |||||||||||
| ☐ | TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the transition period from ____________ to _________________
Commission file number 1-13163
YUM! BRANDS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| North Carolina | 13-3951308 | |||||||||||||||||||
| (State or other jurisdiction of | (I.R.S. Employer | |||||||||||||||||||
| incorporation or organization) | Identification No.) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1441 Gardiner Lane, | Louisville, | Kentucky | 40213 | |||||||||||||||||
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: | (502) | 874-8300 |
| Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: | |||||||||||
| Title of Each Class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered | |||||||||
| Common Stock, no par value | YUM | New York Stock Exchange | |||||||||
| Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: | |||||||||||
| None |
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☒
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer”, “accelerated filer”, “smaller reporting company”, and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
| Large Accelerated Filer | ☒ | Accelerated Filer | ☐ | |||||||||||
| Non-accelerated Filer | ☐ | Smaller Reporting Company | ☐ | |||||||||||
| Emerging Growth Company | ☐ |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☒
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒
The aggregate market value of the voting stock (which consists solely of shares of Common Stock) held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of June 30, 2025, computed by reference to the closing price of the registrant’s Common Stock on the New York Stock Exchange Composite Tape on such date was approximately $41 billion. All executive officers and directors of the registrant have been deemed, solely for the purpose of the foregoing calculation, to be “affiliates” of the registrant. The number of shares outstanding of the registrant’s Common Stock as of February 17, 2026, was 276,430,130 shares.
Documents Incorporated by Reference
Portions of the definitive proxy statement furnished to shareholders of the registrant in connection with the annual meeting of shareholders to be held on May 14, 2026, are incorporated by reference into Part III.
Forward-Looking Statements
In this Form 10-K, as well as in other written reports and oral statements, we present “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. We intend all forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and we are including this statement for purposes of complying with those safe harbor provisions.
Forward-looking statements can be generally identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts and by the use of forward-looking words such as “expect,” “expectation,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “may,” “could,” “intend,” “belief,” “plan,” “estimate,” “target,” “predict,” “likely,” “seek,” “project,” “model,” “ongoing,” “will,” “should,” “forecast,” “outlook” or similar terminology. Forward-looking statements are based on and reflect our current expectations, estimates, assumptions and/or projections, our perception of historical trends and current conditions, as well as other factors that we believe are appropriate and reasonable under the circumstances. Forward-looking statements are neither predictions nor guarantees of future events, circumstances or performance and are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated by those statements. There can be no assurance that our expectations, estimates, assumptions and/or projections will be achieved. Factors that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from our expectations, estimates, assumptions, projections and/or forward-looking statements include (i) the risks and uncertainties described in the Risk Factors included in Part I, Item 1A of this Form 10-K and (ii) the factors described in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations included in Part II, Item 7 of this Form 10-K. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. The forward-looking statements included in this Form 10-K are only made as of the date of this Form 10-K and we disclaim any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.
PART I
Item 1. Business.
Yum! Brands, Inc. (referred to herein as “YUM”, the “Registrant” or the “Company”), was incorporated under the laws of the state of North Carolina in 1997. The principal executive offices of YUM are located at 1441 Gardiner Lane, Louisville, Kentucky 40213, and the telephone number at that location is (502) 874-8300. Our website address is https://www.yum.com.
YUM, together with its subsidiaries, is referred to in this Form 10-K annual report (“Form 10-K”) as the Company. The terms “we,” “us” and “our” are also used in the Form 10-K to refer to the Company. Throughout this Form 10-K, the terms “restaurants,” “stores” and “units” are used interchangeably. While YUM does not directly own or operate any restaurants, throughout this document we may refer to restaurants that are owned or operated by our subsidiaries as being Company-owned.
Overview of Business
YUM has over 63,000 restaurants in 155 countries and territories primarily operating under the four concepts of KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and Habit Burger & Grill (the “Concepts”). The Company’s KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut brands are global leaders of the chicken, Mexican-inspired food and pizza categories, respectively. Habit Burger & Grill is a fast-casual restaurant concept specializing in made-to-order chargrilled burgers, sandwiches and more. At December 31, 2025, 97% of our Concepts’ units are operated by independent franchisees or licensees under the terms of franchise or license agreements. The terms franchise or franchisee within this Form 10-K are meant to describe third parties that operate units under either franchise or license agreements.
In 2025, we began a review of strategic options for the Pizza Hut brand. The objective of the review is to create value for YUM, Pizza Hut and its franchise partners by determining the optimal approach to best capitalize on Pizza Hut's structural advantages — strong brand equity, experienced franchise partners and meaningful scale — in the highly fragmented pizza market. We currently intend to complete this strategic options review in 2026, and there can be no assurance this review will result in any specific outcome or transaction.
The following is a brief description of each Concept and a summary of our Concepts’ operations as of and for the year ended December 31, 2025:
| Number of Units | % of Units International | Number of Countries and Territories | % Franchised | System Sales(a) (in Millions) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| KFC Division | 33,897 | 90 | % | 149 | 99 | % | $ | 36,434 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Taco Bell Division | 9,030 | 14 | % | 38 | 93 | % | 18,361 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pizza Hut Division | 19,974 | 68 | % | 108 | 99 | % | 12,794 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Habit Burger & Grill Division | 384 | — | % | 2 | 22 | % | 706 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| YUM | 63,285 | 72 | % | 155 | 97 | % | $ | 68,295 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(a) Constitutes sales of all restaurants, both Company-owned and franchised. See further discussion of this performance metric within Part II, Item 7 of this Form 10-K.
KFC
KFC was founded in Corbin, Kentucky, by Colonel Harland D. Sanders, an early developer of the quick service food business and a pioneer of the restaurant franchise concept. The Colonel perfected his secret blend of 11 herbs and spices for Kentucky Fried Chicken in 1939 and signed up his first franchisee in 1952. KFC restaurants across the world offer fried and non-fried chicken products such as sandwiches, chicken strips, chicken-on-the-bone and other chicken products marketed under a variety of names.
Taco Bell
The first Taco Bell restaurant was opened in 1962 by Glen Bell in Downey, California, and in 1964, the first Taco Bell franchise was sold. Taco Bell specializes in Mexican-style food products, including various types of tacos, burritos, quesadillas, salads, nachos and other related items.
Pizza Hut
The first Pizza Hut restaurant was opened in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas, and within a year, the first franchise unit was opened. Today, Pizza Hut specializes in the sale of ready-to-eat pizza products and operates in the delivery, carryout and casual dining segments around the world.
Habit Burger & Grill
The first Habit Burger & Grill restaurant opened in 1969 in Santa Barbara, California. The Habit Burger & Grill restaurant concept is built around a distinctive and diverse menu that includes chargrilled burgers and sandwiches made-to-order over an open flame and topped with fresh ingredients.
Business Strategy
Through our Recipe for Good Growth we strive to grow iconic restaurant brands around the world that are loved by our customers, trusted everywhere we operate and connected through teamwork, technology and our global scale. These three ideas - being loved, trusted and connected - guide how we operate across our global system and engage with our customers, teams and communities:
Loved: We grow by delighting customers with craveable food and distinctive experiences.
Trusted: We operate responsibly with consistency and efficiency in our restaurants, across our system and in our communities. This includes a commitment to our priorities for social responsibility, risk management and sustainable stewardship of resources.
Connected: We use our teamwork, technology and global scale to serve every customer, everywhere, anytime.
As we enter into 2026, we intend to drive the next chapter of growth for YUM by Raising the B.A.R. through three clear priorities that reflect bold aspirations and a commitment to industry-leading performance:
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B**attle for the future consumer by staying relentlessly focused on their needs and wants.
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A**ccelerate restaurant unit economics for our franchisees and maximize performance of every restaurant, serving as a catalyst for new unit development and keeping our franchise system healthy.
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R**each the full potential of Byte by Yum! by effectively operating, innovating and expanding our connected platform built by restaurant operators for restaurant operators to unlock its full potential for our franchise partners and our business.
Key to our success fueling brand performance and franchise success is our unrivaled culture and talent and leading with smart, heart and courage.
Information about Operating Segments
As of December 31, 2025, YUM consists of four operating segments:
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The KFC Division which includes our worldwide operations of the KFC concept
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The Taco Bell Division which includes our worldwide operations of the Taco Bell concept
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The Pizza Hut Division which includes our worldwide operations of the Pizza Hut concept
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The Habit Burger & Grill Division which includes our worldwide operations of the Habit Burger & Grill concept
Franchise Agreements
The franchise programs of the Company are designed to promote consistency and quality, and the Company is selective in granting franchises. The Company is focused on partnering with franchisees who have the commitment, capability and capitalization to grow our Concepts. Franchisees can range in size from individuals owning just one restaurant to large publicly-traded companies. The Company has franchise relationships that are particularly important to our business, such as our relationship with Yum China (defined below) and our relationships with certain other large franchisees.
The Company currently has approximately 1,500 franchisees with whom we have franchise contracts. The Company utilizes both store-level franchise and master franchise programs to grow our businesses. Of our over 61,000 franchised units at December 31, 2025, approximately 40% operate under our master franchise programs, including over 17,000 units in mainland China. The remainder of our franchise units operate under store-level franchise agreements. Under both types of franchise programs, franchisees supply capital by purchasing or leasing the land, building, equipment, signs, seating, inventories and supplies and, over the longer term, by reinvesting in the business. In certain historical refranchising transactions the Company may have retained ownership of land and building and continues to lease them to the franchisee. Store-level franchise agreements typically require payment to the Company of certain upfront fees such as initial fees paid upon opening of a store, fees paid to renew the term of the franchise agreement and fees paid in the event the franchise agreement is transferred to another franchisee. Franchisees also pay monthly continuing fees based on a percentage of their restaurants’ sales (typically between 4% to 6%) and are required to spend a certain amount to advertise and promote the brand. Under master franchise arrangements, the Company enters into agreements that allow master franchisees to operate restaurants as well as sub-franchise restaurants within certain geographic territories. Master franchisees are typically responsible for overseeing development within their territories and performing certain other administrative duties with regard to the oversight of sub-franchisees. In exchange, master franchisees retain a certain percentage of fees payable by the sub-franchisees under their franchise agreements and often pay lower fees for the restaurants they operate.
On October 31, 2016, we completed the spin-off of our China business into an independent, publicly-traded company under the name of Yum China Holdings, Inc. (“Yum China”). As our largest master franchisee, Yum China, pays the Company a continuing fee of 3% on system sales of our Concepts in mainland China. The use by Yum China of certain of our material trademarks and service marks is governed by a master license agreement between subsidiaries of YUM and Yum China.
The Company seeks to maintain strong and open relationships with our franchisees and their representatives. To this end, the Company invests a significant amount of time working with the franchisee community and their representative organizations on key aspects of the business, including products, technology, equipment, operational improvements and standards.
Restaurant Operations
Through its Concepts, YUM develops, operates and franchises a worldwide system of both traditional and non-traditional Quick Service Restaurants (“QSR”). Traditional units can feature dine-in, carryout, drive-thru and delivery services. Non-traditional units include express units that have a more limited menu, usually generate lower sales volumes and operate in non-traditional locations like malls, airports, gasoline service stations, train stations, subways, convenience stores, stadiums, amusement parks and colleges, where a full-scale traditional outlet would not be practical or efficient.
Most restaurants in each Concept offer consumers the ability to dine in, carryout and/or have the Concepts’ food delivered either by store-level personnel or third-party delivery services such as aggregators. In addition, Taco Bell, KFC and Habit Burger & Grill offer a drive-thru option in many stores. Pizza Hut offers a drive-thru option on a much more limited basis.
Restaurant management structure varies by Concept, unit size and franchise organization. Generally, each restaurant is led by a restaurant general manager (“RGM”), together with one or more assistant managers, depending on the operating complexity and sales volume of the restaurant. Each Concept issues manuals, which may then be customized to meet local regulations and customs. These manuals set forth standards and requirements for restaurant operations, including food safety and quality, food handling and product preparation procedures, equipment maintenance, facility standards and accounting control procedures. Each franchise organization and their respective restaurant management teams are responsible for the day-to-day operation of their units, including all matters related to employment of restaurant staff, and for ensuring compliance with operating standards.
Digital and technology are at the core of our Recipe for Good Growth. In recent years the Company has focused on building and acquiring a distinctive set of solutions with next-generation capabilities tailored for our brands, scaling these common digital and technology platforms across the globe and integrating our digital and technology teams into a unified global team. In 2025, we introduced our Byte by Yum! platform, a comprehensive collection of proprietary software as a service and artificial intelligence (“AI”) driven products that enables easy operations for team members and improved experiences for customers, while consolidating essential systems into a cohesive, easy-to-manage platform. The Byte by Yum! platform includes online and mobile app ordering, point of sale, kitchen and delivery optimization, menu management, inventory and labor management and team member tools. The implementation of Byte by Yum! is also designed to enable a faster and more impactful adoption of AI by YUM and its brands, and offers franchisees leading technology capabilities with advantaged economics made possible by the scale of YUM all with a goal of unlocking new insights and driving profitable sales growth.
Digital sales include transactions where consumers at system restaurants utilize ordering interaction that is primarily facilitated by automated technology. In 2025, our system restaurants generated digital sales approaching both $40 billion and 60% of overall system sales.
The Company and its Concepts own numerous registered trademarks. The Company believes that many of these marks, including our Kentucky Fried Chicken®, KFC®, Taco Bell®, Pizza Hut® and The Habit® marks, have significant value and material importance to our business. The Company’s policy is to pursue registration of important marks whenever feasible and to challenge any infringement of our marks vigorously. The use of certain of these marks by franchisees has been authorized in our franchise agreements. Under current law and with proper use, the Company’s rights in our marks can generally last indefinitely. The Company also has certain patents on restaurant equipment and technology which, while valuable, are not currently considered material to our business.
Supply and Distribution
The Company and franchisees of the Concepts are substantial purchasers of a number of food and paper products, equipment and other restaurant supplies. The principal items purchased include chicken, cheese, beef and pork products, paper and packaging materials. Prices paid for these supplies fluctuate. When prices increase, the Concepts may attempt to pass on such increases to their customers, although there is no assurance that this can be done in practice. The Company does not typically experience significant continuous shortages of supplies, and alternative sources for most of these supplies are generally available.
In the U.S., the Company, along with the representatives of the Company’s KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut franchisee groups, are members of Restaurant Supply Chain Solutions, LLC (“RSCS”), a third party which is responsible for purchasing certain restaurant products and equipment. Additionally, Habit Burger & Grill entered into a purchasing agreement with RSCS effective July 31, 2020. The core mission of RSCS is to provide the lowest possible sustainable store-delivered prices for restaurant products and equipment. This arrangement combines the purchasing power of the Company-owned and franchisee restaurants, which the Company believes leverages the system’s scale to drive cost savings and effectiveness in the purchasing function. The Company also believes that RSCS fosters closer alignment of interests and a stronger relationship with our franchisee community.
Most food products, paper and packaging supplies, and equipment used in restaurant operations are distributed to individual restaurant units by third-party distribution companies. In the U.S., McLane Foodservice, Inc. is the distributor for the majority of items used in Company-owned restaurants and for a substantial number of franchisee restaurants. Outside the U.S., we and our Concepts’ franchisees primarily use aligned and leveraged sourcing and distribution systems involving global, regional and local suppliers and distributors. The Company partners with our international franchisees to manage third-party suppliers and distributors, subject to our internal standards and approvals. All suppliers and distributors are expected to provide products and/or services that comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations in the state and/or country in which they operate as well as comply with our internal standards.
Advertising and Promotional Programs
Company-owned and franchise restaurants are required to spend a percentage of their respective restaurants’ sales on advertising programs with the goal of increasing sales and enhancing the reputation of the Concepts. Advertising may be conducted nationally, regionally and locally. When multiple franchisees operate in the same country or region, the national and regional advertising spending is typically conducted by a cooperative to which the franchisees and Company-owned restaurants, if any, contribute funds as a percentage of restaurants’ sales. The contributions are primarily used to pay for expenses relating to purchasing media for advertising, market research, commercial production, talent payments and other support functions for the respective Concepts. We have the right to control the advertising activities of certain advertising cooperatives, typically in markets where we have Company-owned restaurants, through our majority voting rights.
Working Capital
Information about the Company’s working capital is included in MD&A in Part II, Item 7 and the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows in Part II, Item 8.
Seasonal Operations
The Company does not consider its operations to be seasonal to any material degree.
Competition
The retail food industry, in which our Concepts compete, is made up of supermarkets, supercenters, warehouse stores, convenience stores, coffee shops, snack bars, delicatessens and restaurants (including those in the QSR segment), and is intensely competitive with respect to price and quality of food products, new product development, digital engagement, advertising levels and promotional initiatives, customer service reputation, restaurant location and attractiveness and maintenance of properties. Competition has also increased from and been enabled by delivery aggregators and other food delivery services in recent years, particularly in urbanized areas. Our Concepts also face competition as a result of convergence in grocery, convenience, deli and restaurant services, including the offering by the grocery industry of convenient meals, including pizzas and entrees with side dishes. The retail food industry is often affected by: changes in consumer tastes; national, regional or local economic conditions; currency fluctuations; demographic trends; traffic patterns; the type, number and location of competing food retailers and products; and disposable purchasing power. Within the retail food industry, each of our Concepts competes with international, national and regional chains as well as locally-owned establishments, not only for customers, but also for management and hourly personnel, suitable real estate sites and qualified franchisees. Given the various types and vast number of competitors, our Concepts do not constitute a significant portion of the retail food industry in terms of number of system units or system sales, either on a worldwide or individual country basis.
Environmental Matters
The Company is not aware of any federal, state or local environmental laws or regulations that will materially affect our earnings or competitive position, or result in material capital expenditures. However, the Company cannot predict the effect on our operations due to possible future environmental legislation or regulations. During 2025, there were no material capital expenditures for environmental control facilities and no such material expenditures are anticipated.
Government Regulation
U.S. Operations. The Company and its U.S. operations, as well as our franchisees, are subject to various federal, state and local laws affecting our business, including laws and regulations concerning information security, privacy, labor and employment, health, marketing, food labeling, competition, public accommodation, sanitation and safety. Each of our and our Concepts’ franchisees’ restaurants in the U.S. must comply with licensing requirements and regulations promulgated by a number of governmental authorities, which include health, sanitation, safety, fire and zoning agencies in the state and/or municipality in which the restaurant is located. In addition, each Concept must comply with various state and federal laws that regulate the franchisor/franchisee relationship. To date, the Company has not been materially adversely affected by such licensing requirements and regulations or by any difficulty, delay or failure to obtain required licenses or approvals.
International Operations. Our and our Concepts’ franchisees’ restaurants outside the U.S. are subject to national and local laws and regulations which have similarities to those affecting U.S. restaurants but may differ among jurisdictions. Like restaurants in the U.S., restaurants outside the U.S. are subject to certain regulations and tariffs on imported commodities and equipment, laws regulating foreign investment and anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws.
See Item 1A “Risk Factors” of this Form 10-K for a discussion of risks relating to federal, state, local and international regulation of our business.
Human Capital Management
As of December 31, 2025, the Company and its subsidiaries employed approximately 49,000 persons (collectively referred to throughout this filing as “our employees” or “YUM employees”), including approximately 28,000 employees in the U.S. and approximately 21,000 employees outside the U.S. Approximately 90% of our employees work in restaurants while the remainder work in our restaurant-support centers. In the U.S., approximately 90% of our Company-owned restaurant employees are part-time of which approximately 50% have been employed by the Company for less than a year. Some of our International employees are subject to labor council relationships whose terms vary due to the multitude of countries in which the Company operates.
In addition to the persons employed by the Company and its subsidiaries, our approximately 61,000 franchise restaurants around the world are responsible for the employment of over an estimated 1 million people who work in and support those restaurants. Each year YUM and our franchisees around the world create thousands of part-time, entry-level restaurant opportunities to grow careers at our KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and Habit Burger & Grill brands. As evidence of the opportunities these positions create, approximately 80% of the Company-owned restaurant general managers (“RGMs”) located in the U.S. have been promoted from other positions in our brands’ restaurants.
Human capital management considerations are integral to our Recipe for Good Growth strategy, the drivers of which include leveraging our unrivaled culture and talent to fuel brand performance and franchise success, as well as recruiting and equipping the best restaurant operators in the world to deliver great customer experiences. Our investment in people includes creating a culture of engagement that attracts, retains and grows the best people and creates high performance in our restaurants. We are continuing to build a culture of opportunity and belonging among our employees, franchisees, suppliers and partners that makes room for all people and voices at our tables that reflects the customers and communities we serve, which we believe provides us with a competitive advantage with respect to the performance of our business. Our commitments and progress towards these areas of focus are reflected below.
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Continually building upon ongoing inclusion efforts to help ensure our workplaces are environments where all people can be successful.
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Consistent with our Code of Conduct, making employment-related decisions based on an individual's abilities and merit, not personal characteristics that are unrelated to the job.
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Measuring YUM employee engagement regularly. For example, every other year we conduct a global employee engagement survey of all employees working in our restaurant support centers. The most recent survey conducted was in 2025 and reflected an above-average engagement level among our employees relative to benchmarked companies.
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Providing YUM employees with training and development that builds world-class leaders and drives business results.
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Enabling a culture that fuels results and cross-brand collaboration on operational execution, people capability and customer experience initiatives throughout our system.
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Assessing progress towards lowering turnover and increasing retention rates, particularly at the restaurant-employee level.
Available Information
The Company makes available, through the Investor Relations section of its internet website at https://www.yum.com, its annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, as soon as reasonably practicable after electronically filing such material with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) at https://www.sec.gov.
Our Corporate Governance Principles and our Code of Conduct are also located within the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website. The references to the Company’s website address in this Form 10-K do not constitute incorporation by reference of the information contained on the website and should not be considered part of this Form 10-K. These documents, as well as our SEC filings, are available in print free of charge to any shareholder who requests a copy from our Investor Relations Department.
Item 1A. Risk Factors.
You should carefully review the risks described below as they identify important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements, expectations and historical trends. Any of the following risk factors, either by itself or together with other risk factors, could materially adversely affect our business, growth prospects, results of operations, cash flows and/or financial condition.
Risks Related to Food Safety and Catastrophic Events
Food safety and food- or beverage-borne illness concerns may have an adverse effect on our business and/or our growth prospects.
Food or beverage-borne illnesses (that can be caused by food-borne pathogens such as E. coli, Listeria, Salmonella, Cyclospora and Trichinosis) and food safety issues (such as food tampering and contamination including with respect to allergens or adulteration) have occurred and may occur within our system from time to time. In addition, the health and environmental risks of certain ubiquitous substances (including per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)) commonly found in packaging have been the subject of increased regulatory scrutiny and lawsuits against us and other restaurant companies. Any report linking our or our Concepts’ franchisees’ restaurants, our suppliers or distributors or otherwise involving the types of products used at our restaurants, or linking our competitors, suppliers, distributors or the retail food industry generally, to instances of food- or beverage-borne illness or food safety issues or substances having perceived health or environmental risks could result in adverse publicity and otherwise adversely affect us and lead to consumer complaints, litigation and/or governmental investigations. There is also a risk that we or our Concepts’ franchisees’ restaurants, suppliers or distributors underreport food safety incidents or system failures, which could hinder response and tracking of such risks. Moreover, our Concepts’ restaurants' reliance on third-party food suppliers and distributors and increasing reliance on food delivery aggregators may increase the risk that food- or beverage-borne illness incidents and food safety issues could be caused by factors outside of our control. If a customer is believed to have become ill from food or beverage-borne illnesses or as a result of food safety issues, remediation efforts could include temporary closure of restaurants, which could disrupt our operations and adversely affect our reputation, business and/or our growth prospects. The occurrence of food-borne pathogens in restaurant products or food safety issues could also adversely affect the price and availability of affected ingredients, which could result in disruptions in our supply chain and/or lower margins for us and our Concepts’ franchisees.
Our business may be adversely affected by adverse public health conditions or the occurrence of other catastrophic or unforeseen events.
Our business and/or growth prospects could be adversely impacted by various catastrophic or other unforeseen events (which may be beyond our control), including health epidemics or pandemics, natural disasters, geopolitical events, military conflict, terrorism, political, financial or social instability, boycotts, social or civil unrest, workplace violence, or other events that lead to avoidance of public places or restrictions on public gatherings, particularly if located in regions where we have significant operations. We could also be adversely affected if government authorities impose mandatory or voluntary closures, impose restrictions on operations of restaurants, or restrict the import or export of products, or if suppliers issue mass recalls of products, in connection with any such events.
In addition, our operations could be disrupted if any employees at our or our Concepts’ franchisees’ restaurants had or were suspected of having avian flu or swine flu, or other highly communicable illnesses, since this may require us, or our Concepts’ franchisees, to quarantine employees and close facilities, including restaurants. Prior outbreaks of avian flu have resulted in confirmed human cases and it is possible that outbreaks could reach pandemic levels. Public concern over avian flu may cause fear about the consumption of chicken, eggs and other poultry products derived from poultry, which could adversely affect us given that poultry is widely offered at our Concepts’ restaurants. Avian flu outbreaks could also adversely affect the price and availability of poultry, which could negatively impact our business.
Risks Related to our Business Strategy and Reliance upon Franchisees
Our operating results and growth strategies are closely tied to the success of our Concepts’ franchisees.
The vast majority (97%) of our restaurants are operated by our Concepts’ franchisees. Our long-term growth depends on maintaining the pace of our new unit growth rate largely through our Concepts’ franchisees. We also rely on master franchisees, who have rights to license to sub-franchisees the right to develop and operate restaurants, to achieve our expectations for new unit development. If our Concepts’ franchisees and master franchisees do not meet our expectations for new unit development, we may not achieve our desired growth.
We have limited control over how our Concepts’ franchisees’ businesses are run, and their inability to operate successfully could adversely affect our operating results through decreased royalties, advertising funds contributions, and fees paid to us for other discrete services we may provide to our Concepts’ franchisees Our control is further limited where we utilize master franchise arrangements, which require us to rely on our master franchisees to enforce sub-franchisee compliance with our operating standards.
If our Concepts’ franchisees fail to adequately capitalize their businesses or incur too much debt, if their operating expenses or commodity prices increase or if economic or sales trends deteriorate such that franchisees are unable to operate profitably or repay existing debt, it could result in their financial distress, including insolvency or bankruptcy, or the inability to meet development targets or obligations. If any significant franchisee of our Concepts individually or in the aggregate becomes financially distressed, as has occurred from time to time, our operating results could be adversely impacted, and we could experience reduced new unit development.
In addition, we are secondarily liable on certain Concepts’ franchisees’ restaurant lease agreements, including lease agreements that we have guaranteed or assigned to franchisees, and our operating results and/or growth prospects could be impacted by any rent obligations to the extent such franchisees default on these lease agreements.
Our results may also be impacted by whether our Concepts’ franchisees implement marketing programs or other major initiatives, such as restaurant remodels or equipment or technology upgrades, which may require financial investment by such franchisees. Our Concepts may be unable to successfully implement strategies that we believe are necessary for growth if our Concepts’ franchisees do not participate, which may harm our growth prospects and financial results. Additionally, the failure of our Concepts’ franchisees to focus on key elements of restaurant operations, such as compliance with our operating standards addressing quality, service and cleanliness (even if such failures do not breach the franchise documents), may be attributed by guests to our Concepts’ brand and could negatively impact our reputation, business and/or our growth prospects.
Franchisee noncompliance with our franchise agreements and/or or brand standards including by failing to meet health and safety standards, to engage in quality control or maintain product consistency or to comply with cybersecurity requirements, as well as through partici
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Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.
The Company has received no written comments regarding its periodic or current reports from the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission that were issued 180 days or more preceding the end of its 2025 fiscal year and that remain unresolved.
Item 1C. Cybersecurity.
Cybersecurity Risk Management Program
Information security and data privacy have been and remain of the utmost importance to the Company in light of the value we place on maintaining the trust and confidence of our consumers, employees and other stakeholders.
We have a risk-based cybersecurity risk management program (the “Program”) in place designed to assess, identify and manage material risks from cybersecurity threats. The Program falls under the oversight of our Chief Information Security Officer (“CISO”) and defines controls for access management, data protection and vulnerability detection, in addition to incident response protocols which are discussed further in the “Governance” section herein. The Program incorporates customized elements from industry-leading standards to drive robust and comprehensive protection.
To supplement our own internal processes and controls, we regularly engage consultants and other third parties as part of our Program, including to periodically:
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Test our information security defenses and to perform external penetration assessments; and
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Review and assess the Program and its maturity
We also have processes to oversee and identify material cybersecurity risks associated with our use of third-party service providers and their information systems. As part of these processes, we conduct cybersecurity due diligence around significant third-party service providers who access our information technology systems before and/or during their engagement. We require third-party service providers to promptly notify us of any actual breach impacting our data or operations. Additionally, we seek to obtain System and Organization Controls (“SOC”) 2 reports on an annual basis from vendors that host our significant financial applications to aid in our assessment of information security risk associated with our relationship with the host vendor. If a host vendor is not able to provide a SOC 2 report, we take additional steps to assess information security risk associated with the relationship.
The vast majority (97%) of our restaurants are owned and operated by franchisees who themselves are at risk of cyber-attacks or security incidents. Whilst some of those franchisees do operate their restaurants utilizing the Company’s networks and systems, many use networks and systems which they manage themselves. There is limited direct connectivity between the networks that the Company manages and the networks which our franchisees manage. We have established minimum information security standards for our franchisees through our Franchise Agreement Policy Manuals and Brand Standards. Those minimum information security standards are reviewed and updated on a regular basis and franchisees are given time to adjust and comply with changes as they occur.
Despite the security measures implemented as part of our Program, the current cyber threat environment presents increased risks for all companies, and we are a frequent target of cyber-attacks and have experienced security incidents. For example, on January 18, 2023, the Company announced a ransomware attack that impacted certain Information Technology (“IT”) systems. This incident resulted in the closure of fewer than 300 restaurants in one market for one day, and certain of the Company’s IT systems and data were affected. In addition, although data was taken from our network, the affected data was limited to certain personal information of former and current employees, and we have no evidence that customer databases were accessed.
Several separate putative class actions have been filed in U.S. federal and state court by current and/or former employees alleging violations of privacy and other rights in connection with the ransomware incident. As a result, we have incurred and may continue to incur expenses relating to this litigation.
We do not believe that any risks we have identified to date from cybersecurity threats, including as a result of any previous cybersecurity incidents, have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect us, including our business strategy, results of operations or financial condition. For additional information regarding the risks to us associated with cybersecurity incidents, see Item 1A. “Risk Factors”.
Governance
The Company’s cybersecurity risk management processes are integrated into the Company’s overall risk management processes. The Board of Directors has overall responsibility for the oversight of the Company’s risk management and has delegated the oversight of specific risk-related responsibilities to certain Board committees. The Audit Committee oversees the Company’s business and financial technology risk exposure, which includes data privacy and data protection, information security and cybersecurity, as well as the controls in place to monitor and mitigate these risks. Our CISO and Chief Digital and Technology Officer advise the Audit Committee at least four times a year, and the Board of Directors regularly, on our management and oversight of information security risks and data protection risks. The Audit Committee also receives periodic updates on data privacy from members of management within our data privacy group in addition to the regular updates from our CISO. The Audit Committee provides a summary to the full Board at each regular Board meeting of the information security risk review together with any other risk related subjects discussed at the Audit Committee meeting.
At a management level, our Program is led by our CISO, who reports to the Company’s Chief Digital and Technology Officer. Our CISO has expertise in cybersecurity risk management through, among other things, over 30 years of information security experience, prior CISO and security leadership positions at other public companies, and certain technology and information security matters certifications. Additionally, we have a formal data privacy management committee made up of privacy professionals, operational experts and specialist legal counsel which is overseen by our Chief Legal Officer.
We have a Data Incident Response Plan (“the Plan”) which provides for controls and procedures in connection with cybersecurity events including escalation procedures as summarized below. Under the Plan, we have established a Data Incident Response team (the “Response Team”), a cross-functional group comprised of certain members of senior management, including our Chief Legal Officer and CISO. The Plan provides that the Response Team is responsible for assessing, investigating and responding to any cybersecurity event elevated for its consideration by our CISO.
In addition, under the Plan, we have established a cross-functional management group comprised of our Chief Legal Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Digital and Technology Officer, Vice President Internal Audit, Chief Compliance Officer, Senior Vice President Finance & Corporate Controller and CISO. The Plan provides that any cybersecurity incident that is elevated for the review of the Response Team will also be reviewed by this group to determine whether any such incident is material for securities laws purposes and whether public disclosure is required or advisable in connection therewith, following any necessary consultation with the Company’s senior management, Disclosure Committee, Audit Committee and/or Board of Directors.
Item 2. Properties.
As of year end 2025, the Company’s Concepts owned land, building or both for 514 restaurants worldwide in connection with the operation of our 1,617 Company-owned restaurants. These restaurants are further detailed as follows:
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The KFC Division owned land, building or both for 119 restaurants.
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The Taco Bell Division owned land, building or both for 393 restaurants.
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The Pizza Hut Division owned land, building or both for 2 restaurants.
The Company currently also owns land, building or both related to approximately 400 franchise restaurants that it leases to franchisees and leases land, building or both related to approximately 225 franchise restaurants that it subleases to franchisees, principally in the U.S., United Kingdom, Germany and Australia.
Company-owned restaurants in the U.S. with leases are generally leased for initial terms of 10 to 20 years and generally have renewal options. Company-owned restaurants outside the U.S. with leases have initial lease terms and renewal options that vary by country.
The KFC Division and Pizza Hut Division corporate headquarters and a KFC and Pizza Hut research facility in Plano, Texas are owned by Pizza Hut. A leased building in Irvine, California contains the Taco Bell Division and the Habit Burger & Grill Division corporate headquarters and a Taco Bell research facility. Leased buildings in Louisville, Kentucky contain the YUM corporate headquarters. Additional information about the Company’s properties is included in the Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8.
The Company believes that its properties are generally in good operating condition and are suitable for the purposes for which they are being used.
Item 3. Legal Proceedings.
The Company is subject to various lawsuits covering a variety of allegations. The Company believes that the ultimate liability, if any, in excess of amounts already provided for these matters in the Consolidated Financial Statements, is not likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company’s annual results of operations, financial condition or cash flows. Matters faced by the Company include, but are not limited to, claims from franchisees, suppliers, employees, customers, governments and others related to operational, foreign exchange, tax, franchise, contractual, cybersecurity or employment issues as well as claims that the Company has infringed on third-party intellectual property rights. In addition, the Company brings claims from time-to-time relating to infringement of, or challenges to, our intellectual property, including registered marks. Finally, as a publicly-traded company, disputes arise from time-to-time with our shareholders, including allegations that the Company breached federal securities laws or that officers and/or directors breached fiduciary duties. Descriptions of significant current specific claims and contingencies appear in Note 20, Contingencies, to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8, which is incorporated by reference into this item.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.
Not applicable.
Executive Officers of the Registrant.
The executive officers of the Company as of February 20, 2026, and their ages and current positions as of that date are as follows:
Christopher Turner, 51, is Chief Executive Officer of YUM, a position he has held since October 2025. Prior to that, he served as YUM's Chief Financial Officer since August 2019 and YUM's Chief Franchise Officer since November 2024. Before joining YUM, he served as Senior Vice President and General Manager in PepsiCo’s retail and e-commerce businesses with Walmart in the U.S. and more than 25 countries and across PepsiCo’s brands from December 2017 to July 2019. Prior to leading PepsiCo’s Walmart business, he served in various positions including Senior Vice President of Transformation for PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay North America business from July 2017 to December 2017 and Senior Vice President of Strategy for Frito-Lay from February 2016 to June 2017. Prior to joining PepsiCo, he was a partner in the Dallas office of McKinsey & Company, a strategic management consulting firm.
Erika Burkhardt, 52, is Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary of YUM. She has served in this position since November 2024. Prior to that, she served as Associate General Counsel of YUM from July 2020 to November 2024 where she oversaw the Company’s trademark and employment law teams. She has been with the Company since 2004, including as Pizza Hut U.S. Human Resources & Litigation Counsel and Vice President, Brand Protection.
Scott Mezvinsky, 50, is Chief Executive Officer of KFC Division, a position he has held since March 2025. Prior to his current role, he served as President of Taco Bell North America and International from December 2023 to February 2025, as President of Taco Bell North America from September 2023 to November 2023, as Managing Director of Taco Bell North America from February 2023 to September 2023 and as Global Chief Strategy & Financial Officer for Taco Bell from February 2021 to February 2023. Since joining the Company in 2004, Mr. Mezvinsky has served in various positions at KFC and YUM, including General Manager of KFC Iberia, as well as roles in the KFC Latin America and Caribbean market, including Chief Development Officer and Vice President, Development and Operations.
Aaron Powell, 54, is Chief Executive Officer of Pizza Hut Division, a position he has held since September 2021. Before joining YUM, Mr. Powell served in various positions at Kimberly-Clark from September 2007 to August 2021. Prior to joining Kimberly-Clark, he served in various positions at Bain & Company and Proctor & Gamble.
Ranjith Roy, 45, is Chief Financial Officer of YUM, a position he has held since October 2025. Prior to that, he was YUM's Chief Strategy Officer and Treasurer. Before joining YUM in May 2024, he served as Chief Financial Officer of the e-commerce marketplace Goldbelly from May 2021 to May 2024. Prior to this role he spent 15 years with Goldman Sachs.
David Russell, 56, is Senior Vice President, Finance and Corporate Controller of YUM. He has served as YUM’s Corporate Controller since February 2011 and as Senior Vice President, Finance since February 2017. Prior to serving as Corporate Controller, Mr. Russell served in various positions at the Vice President level in the YUM Finance Department, including Controller-Designate from November 2010 to February 2011 and Vice President, Assistant Controller from January 2008 to December 2010.
Tracy Skeans, 53, is Chief Operating Officer and Chief People & Culture Officer of YUM. She has served as Chief Operating Officer since January 2021 and Chief People & Culture Officer since January 2016. She also served as Chief Transformation Officer from November 2016 to December 2020. From January 2015 to December 2015, she was President of Pizza Hut International. Prior to this position, Ms. Skeans served as Chief People Officer of Pizza Hut Division from December 2013 to December 2014 and Chief People Officer of Pizza Hut U.S. from October 2011 to November 2013. From July 2009 to September 2011, she served as Director of Human Resources for Pizza Hut U.S and was on the Pizza Hut U.S. Finance team from September 2000 to June 2009.
Sean Tresvant, 55, is Chief Executive Officer of Taco Bell Division and Chief Consumer Officer of YUM, positions he has held since January 2024 and September 2025, respectively. Prior to this he was the Global Chief Brand and Strategy Officer of Taco Bell from February 2023 to December 2023. He joined the Taco Bell brand in January 2022 as Chief Brand Officer. Previously he spent 15 years at Nike, most recently as Chief Marketing Officer of the Jordan Brand.
Executive officers are elected by and serve at the discretion of the Board of Directors.
PART II
Item 5. Market for the Registrant’s Common Stock, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.
Market Information and Dividend Policy
The Company’s Common Stock trades under the symbol YUM and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”).
As of February 17, 2026, there were 30,435 registered holders of record of the Company’s Common Stock.
In 2025, the Company declared and paid four cash dividends of $0.71 per share. In February 2026, the Company’s Board of Directors declared a dividend of $0.75 per share to be distributed March 6, 2026, to shareholders of record at the close of business on February 20, 2026. Future decisions to pay cash dividends continue to be at the discretion of the Company’s Board of Directors and will be dependent on our operating performance, financial condition, capital expenditure requirements and other factors that the Company’s Board of Directors consider relevant.
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
The following table provides information as of December 31, 2025, with respect to shares of Common Stock repurchased by the Company during the quarter then ended. In May 2024, our Board of Directors authorized share repurchases of up to $2.0 billion (excluding applicable transaction fees and excise taxes) of our outstanding Common Stock through December 31, 2026. As of December 31, 2025, we have remaining capacity to repurchase up to $1.1 billion of Common Stock under this authorization.
| Fiscal Periods | Total number of shares purchased (thousands) | Average price paid per share | Total number of shares purchased as part of publicly announced plans or programs (thousands) | Approximate dollar value of shares that may yet be purchased under the plans or programs (millions) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10/1/25 - 10/31/25 | — | $ | — | — | $ | 1,238 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 11/1/25 - 11/30/25 | 528 | $ | 150.06 | 528 | $ | 1,159 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 12/1/25 - 12/31/25 | 671 | $ | 148.00 | 671 | $ | 1,059 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 1,199 | $ | 148.91 | 1,199 |
Stock Performance Graph
This graph compares the cumulative total return of our Common Stock to the cumulative total return of the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Consumer Discretionary Sector Index, a peer group that includes YUM, for the period from December 31, 2020 to December 31, 2025. The graph assumes that the value of the investment in our Common Stock and each index was $100 at December 31, 2020, and that all cash dividends were reinvested.

| 12/30/2020 | 12/31/2021 | 12/30/2022 | 12/29/2023 | 12/31/2024 | 12/31/2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| YUM | $ | 100 | $ | 130 | $ | 122 | $ | 127 | $ | 133 | $ | 153 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| S&P 500 | $ | 100 | $ | 129 | $ | 105 | $ | 133 | $ | 166 | $ | 196 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| S&P Consumer Discretionary | $ | 100 | $ | 124 | $ | 78 | $ | 112 | $ | 145 | $ | 154 |
Source of total return data: Bloomberg
Item 6. [Reserved]
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
Introduction and Overview
The following Management’s Discussion and Analysis (“MD&A”), should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements (“Financial Statements”) in Item 8 and the Forward-Looking Statements and the Risk Factors set forth in Item 1A. All Note references herein refer to the Notes to the Financial Statements. Tabular amounts are displayed in millions of U.S. dollars except per share and unit count amounts, or as otherwise specifically identified.
In the first quarter of 2025, the Company prospectively changed its basis of presentation to round financial figures in the Financial Statements and as presented in the tabular presentations in this MD&A to the nearest whole number in millions in all instances. As a result, some totals and percentages may not recompute based on rounded figures as presented within this MD&A. Previously, amounts were presented to ensure that all numbers herein recomputed, resulting in the presentation of certain figures inconsistent with their underlying rounding.
Yum! Brands, Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively referred to herein as the “Company”, “YUM”, “we”, “us” or “our”) franchise or operate a system of over 63,000 restaurants in 155 countries and territories, primarily under the concepts of KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and Habit Burger & Grill (collectively, the “Concepts”). The Company’s KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut brands are global leaders of the chicken, Mexican-style food and pizza categories, respectively. The Habit Burger & Grill is a fast-casual restaurant concept specializing in made-to-order chargrilled burgers, sandwiches and more. Of the over 63,000 restaurants, 97% are operated by franchisees.
As of December 31, 2025, YUM consists of four operating segments:
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The KFC Division which includes our worldwide operations of the KFC concept
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The Taco Bell Division which includes our worldwide operations of the Taco Bell concept
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The Pizza Hut Division which includes our worldwide operations of the Pizza Hut concept
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The Habit Burger & Grill Division which includes our worldwide operations of the Habit Burger & Grill concept
Through our Recipe for Good Growth we strive to grow iconic restaurant brands around the world that are loved by our customers, trusted everywhere we operate and connected through teamwork, technology and our global scale. These three ideas - being loved, trusted and connected - guide how we operate across our global system and engage with our customers, teams and communities:
Loved: We grow by delighting customers with craveable food and distinctive experiences.
Trusted: We operate responsibly with consistency and efficiency in our restaurants, across our system and in our communities. This includes a commitment to our priorities for social responsibility, risk management and sustainable stewardship of resources.
Connected: We use our teamwork, technology and global scale to serve every customer, everywhere, anytime.
As we enter into 2026, we intend to drive the next chapter of growth for YUM by Raising the B.A.R. through three clear priorities that reflect bold aspirations and a commitment to industry-leading performance:
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B**attle for the future consumer by staying relentlessly focused on their needs and wants.
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A**ccelerate restaurant unit economics for our franchisees and maximize performance of every restaurant, serving as a catalyst for new unit development and keeping our franchise system healthy.
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R**each the full potential of Byte by Yum! by effectively operating, innovating and expanding our connected platform built by restaurant operators for restaurant operators to unlock its full potential for our franchise partners and our business.
Key to our success fueling brand performance and franchise success is our unrivaled culture and talent and leading with smart, heart and courage.
We intend to drive long-term growth and shareholder returns primarily through consistent same-store sales growth and new unit development across all of our Concepts. We intend to support this growth and development through a capital and operating structure that:
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Invests capital in a manner consistent with an asset light, franchisor model;
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Allocates G&A in an efficient manner that provides leverage to operating profit growth while at the same time opportunistically investing in strategic growth initiatives;
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Targets a consolidated net leverage ratio that balances shareholder returns, cost of capital and flexibility against various risk factors; and
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Maximizes shareholder return through a combination of paying a competitive dividend and returning excess cash flow through share repurchases.
We intend for this MD&A to provide the reader with information that will assist in understanding our results of operations, including performance metrics that management uses to assess the Company’s performance. Throughout this MD&A, we commonly discuss the following performance metrics:
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Same-store sales growth is the estimated percentage change in system sales of all restaurants that have been open and in the YUM system for one year or more, including those temporarily closed. From time-to-time restaurants may be temporarily closed due to remodeling or image enhancement, rebuilding, natural disasters, health epidemic or pandemic, landlord disputes, boycotts, social or civil unrest or other issues. The system sales of restaurants we deem temporarily closed remain in our base for purposes of determining same-store sales growth and the restaurants remain in our unit count (see below). Same-store sales growth excludes, for subsidiaries operating on a monthly calendar, the extra day resulting from a leap year and excludes, for subsidiaries operating on a weekly periodic calendar, the last week of the year in fiscal years with 53 weeks. We believe same-store sales growth is useful to investors because our results are heavily dependent on the results of our Concepts' existing store base. Additionally, same-store sales growth is reflective of the strength of our Brands, the effectiveness of our operational and advertising initiatives and local economic and consumer trends.
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Gross unit openings reflects new openings by us and our franchisees. Net new unit growth reflects gross unit openings offset by permanent store closures, by us and our franchisees. To determine whether a restaurant meets the definition of a unit we consider factors such as whether the restaurant has operations that are ongoing and independent from another YUM unit, serves the primary product of one of our Concepts, operates under a separate franchise agreement (if operated by a franchisee) and has substantial and sustainable sales. We believe gross unit openings and net new unit growth are useful to investors because we depend on new units for a significant portion of our growth. Additionally, gross unit openings and net new unit growth are generally reflective of the economic returns to us and our franchisees from opening and operating our Concept restaurants.
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System sales, System sales excluding the impacts of foreign currency translation (“FX”) and, in 2024, System sales excluding FX and the 53rd week for our U.S. subsidiaries and certain international subsidiaries that operate on a weekly periodic calendar, reflect the results of all restaurants regardless of ownership, including Company-owned and franchise restaurants. Sales at franchise restaurants typically generate ongoing franchise and license fees for the Company at a rate of 3% to 6% of sales. Increasingly, customers are paying a fee to a third party to deliver or facilitate the ordering of our Concepts’ products. We also include in System sales any portion of the amount customers pay these third parties for which the third party is obligated to pay us a license fee as a percentage of such amount. Franchise restaurant sales and fees paid by customers to third parties to deliver or facilitate the ordering of our Conc
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Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.
The Company is exposed to financial market risks associated with interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates and commodity prices. In the normal course of business and in accordance with our policies, we manage these risks through a variety of strategies, which may include the use of financial and commodity derivative instruments to hedge our underlying exposures. Our policies prohibit the use of derivative instruments for trading purposes, and we have processes in place to monitor and control their use.
Interest Rate Risk
We have a market risk exposure to changes in interest rates, principally in the U.S. Our outstanding total debt, excluding the Revolving Facility balance, finance leases and debt issuance costs and discounts, of $11.5 billion includes 83% fixed-rate debt and 17% variable-rate debt. We have attempted to minimize the interest rate risk from variable-rate debt through the use of interest rate swaps that, as of December 31, 2025, result in a fixed interest rate on $1.5 billion of our variable-rate debt. As a result, approximately 96% of this $11.5 billion of outstanding debt at December 31, 2025, is effectively fixed-rate debt. See Note 11 for details on our outstanding debt and Note 13 for details related to interest rate swaps.
At December 31, 2025, a hypothetical 100 basis-point increase in short-term interest rates would result, over the following twelve-month period after consideration of the aforementioned interest rate swaps through maturity, in an increase of approximately $4 million in Interest expense, net within our Consolidated Statement of Income. These estimated amounts are based upon the current level of variable-rate debt that has not been swapped, both through and after maturity of our existing interest rate swaps, to fixed and assume no changes in the volume or composition of that debt and exclude any impact from interest income related to cash and cash equivalents.
The fair value of our cumulative fixed-rate debt of $9.5 billion as of December 31, 2025, would decrease approximately $375 million as a result of the same hypothetical 100 basis-point increase. At December 31, 2025, a hypothetical 100 basis-point decrease in short-term interest rates would decrease the net liability associated with the fair value of our interest rate swaps by approximately $31 million. Fair value was determined based on the present value of expected future cash flows considering the risks involved and using discount rates appropriate for the durations.
Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Risk
Changes in foreign currency exchange rates impact the translation of our reported foreign currency denominated earnings, cash flows and net investments in foreign operations and the fair value of our foreign currency denominated financial instruments. Historically, we have chosen not to hedge foreign currency risks related to our foreign currency denominated earnings and cash flows through the use of financial instruments. We attempt to minimize the exposure related to foreign currency denominated financial instruments by purchasing goods and services from third parties in local currencies when practical. Consequently, foreign currency denominated financial instruments consist primarily of intercompany receivables and payables. At times, we utilize forward contracts and cross-currency swaps to reduce our exposure related to these intercompany receivables and payables. The notional amount and maturity dates of these contracts match those of the underlying receivables or payables such that our foreign currency exchange risk related to these instruments is minimized.
The Company’s foreign currency net asset exposure (defined as foreign currency assets less foreign currency liabilities) totaled approximately $1.0 billion as of December 31, 2025. Operating in international markets exposes the Company to movements in foreign currency exchange rates. The Company’s primary exposures result from our operations in Asia-Pacific, Europe and the Americas. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, Operating Profit would have decreased approximately $150 million if all foreign currencies had uniformly weakened 10% relative to the U.S. dollar. This estimated reduction assumes no changes in sales volumes, local currency sales or input prices.
Commodity Price Risk
We are subject to volatility in food costs at our Company-operated restaurants as a result of market risk associated with commodity prices. Our ability to recover increased costs through higher pricing is, at times, limited by the competitive environment in which we operate. We manage our exposure to this risk primarily through pricing agreements with our vendors.
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.
INDEX TO FINANCIAL INFORMATION
| Page Reference | |||||
| Consolidated Financial Statements | |||||
| Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm | 56 | ||||
| Consolidated Statements of Income | 58 | ||||
| Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income | 59 | ||||
| Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows | 60 | ||||
| Consolidated Balance Sheets | 61 | ||||
| Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Deficit | 62 | ||||
| Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements | 63 |
Financial Statement Schedules
No schedules are required because either the required information is not present or not present in amounts sufficient to require submission of the schedule, or because the information required is included in the above-listed financial statements or notes thereto.
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Shareholders and Board of Directors
Yum! Brands, Inc.:
Opinions on the Consolidated Financial Statements and Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Yum! Brands, Inc. and subsidiaries (the Company) as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, cash flows, and shareholders’ deficit for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2025, and the related notes (collectively, the consolidated financial statements). We also have audited the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2025, based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.
In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2025, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Also in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2025 based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.
Basis for Opinions
The Company’s management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud, and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.
Our audits of the consolidated financial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.
Definition and Limitations of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Critical Audit Matter
The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the consolidated financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of a critical audit matter does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.
Evaluation of unrecognized tax benefits
As discussed in Note 18 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company has recorded unrecognized tax benefits, excluding associated interest, of $115 million. Tax laws are complex and often subject to different interpretations by tax payers and the respective tax authorities.
We identified the evaluation of the Company’s unrecognized tax benefits as a critical audit matter. Su
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Item 9. Changes In and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.
None.
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
The Company has evaluated the effectiveness of the design and operation of its disclosure controls and procedures pursuant to Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based on the evaluation, performed under the supervision and with the participation of the Company’s management, including the Chief Executive Officer (the “CEO”) and the Chief Financial Officer (the “CFO”), the Company’s management, including the CEO and CFO, concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of the end of the period covered by this report.
Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the framework in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on our evaluation under the framework in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013), our management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2025.
KPMG LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, has audited the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting and has issued their report, included herein.
Changes in Internal Control
There were no changes with respect to the Company’s internal control over financial reporting or in other factors that materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, internal control over financial reporting during the quarter ended December 31, 2025.
Item 9B. Other Information.
Securities Trading Plans
During the three months ended December 31, 2025, none of the Company's directors or executive officers adopted or terminated any contract, instruction or written plan for the purchase or sale of Company securities that was intended to satisfy the affirmative defense conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c) or any "non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement" as defined in Item 408(c) of Regulation S-K, except as follows:
| Name/Title | Type of Plan | Adoption Date | End Date | Aggregate Number of Securities to be Sold | Plan Description | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Christopher Turner / Chief Executive Officer | Rule 10b5-1 trading plan | November 14, 2025 | January 29, 2027 | 3,420(1) | Sell Shares of Common Stock | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Scott Mezvinsky /Chief Executive Officer, KFC Division | Rule 10b5-1 trading plan | November 10, 2025 | January 29, 2027 | 5,791(2) | Exercise of Stock Appreciation Rights and Sale of Resulting Shares |
(1)Represents the number of shares of common stock specified in the plan.
(2)Represents the number of shares of common stock underlying the stock appreciation rights awards specified in the plan. The actual number of shares of common stock to be received and sold following the exercise of the awards will depend upon the appreciation in the value of the awards and the number of shares withheld for any taxes.
Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections.
Not applicable.
PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.
Information regarding Section 16(a) compliance, the Audit Committee and the Audit Committee financial expert, the Company’s code of ethics and background of the directors appearing under the captions “Stock Ownership Information,” “Governance of the Company,” “Executive Compensation” and “Item 1: Election of Directors” is incorporated by reference from the Company’s definitive proxy statement which will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission no later than 120 days after December 31, 2025.
Information regarding executive officers of the Company is included in Part I.
Item 11. Executive Compensation.
Information regarding executive and director compensation and the Management Planning and Development Committee appearing under the captions “Governance of the Company” and “Executive Compensation” is incorporated by reference from the Company’s definitive proxy statement which will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission no later than 120 days after December 31, 2025.
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.
Information regarding equity compensation plans and security ownership of certain beneficial owners and management appearing under the captions “Executive Compensation” and “Stock Ownership Information” is incorporated by reference from the Company’s definitive proxy statement which will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission no later than 120 days after December 31, 2025.
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.
Information regarding certain relationships and related transactions and information regarding director independence appearing under the caption “Governance of the Company” is incorporated by reference from the Company’s definitive proxy statement which will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission no later than 120 days after December 31, 2025.
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.
Our independent registered public accounting firm is KPMG, LLP, Louisville, Kentucky, Auditor Firm ID: 185.
Information regarding principal accountant fees and services and audit committee pre-approval policies and procedures appearing under the caption “Item 2: Ratification of Independent Auditors” is incorporated by reference from the Company’s definitive proxy statement which will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission no later than 120 days after December 31, 2025.
PART IV
Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.
| (a) | (1) | Financial Statements: Consolidated Financial Statements filed as part of this report are listed under Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K. | |||||||||
| (2) | Financial Statement Schedules: No schedules are required because either the required information is not present or not present in amounts sufficient to require submission of the schedule, or because the information required is included in the Consolidated Financial Statements thereto filed as a part of this Form 10-K. | ||||||||||
| (3) | Exhibits: The exhibits listed in the accompanying Exhibit Index are filed as part of this Form 10-K. The Index to Exhibits specifically identifies each management contract or compensatory plan required to be filed as an exhibit to this Form 10-K. |
| SIGNATURES |
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this Form 10-K annual report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
| Date: | February 20, 2026 |
| YUM! BRANDS, INC. |
| By: | /s/ Chris Turner |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this annual report has been signed on February 20, 2026, by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities indicated.
| Signature | Title | ||||||||||
| /s/ Chris Turner | Chief Executive Officer | ||||||||||
| Chris Turner | (principal executive officer) | ||||||||||
| /s/ Ranjith Roy | Chief Financial Officer | ||||||||||
| Ranjith Roy | (principal financial officer) | ||||||||||
| /s/ David Russell | Senior Vice President, Finance and Corporate Controller | ||||||||||
| David Russell | (principal accounting officer) | ||||||||||
| /s/ Paget Alves | Director | ||||||||||
| Paget Alves | |||||||||||
| /s/ Brett Biggs | Director | ||||||||||
| Brett Biggs | |||||||||||
| /s/ Christopher Connor | Director | ||||||||||
| Christopher Connor | |||||||||||
| /s/ Brian Cornell | Director | ||||||||||
| Brian Cornell | |||||||||||
| /s/ Tanya Domier | Director | ||||||||||
| Tanya Domier | |||||||||||
| /s/ Susan Doniz | Director | ||||||||||
| Susan Doniz | |||||||||||
| /s/ Mirian Graddick-Weir | Director | ||||||||||
| Mirian Graddick-Weir | |||||||||||
| /s/ Thomas Nelson | Director | ||||||||||
| Thomas Nelson | |||||||||||
| /s/ Justin Skala | Director | ||||||||||
| Justin Skala | |||||||||||
| /s/ Annie Young-Scrivner | Director | ||||||||||
| Annie Young-Scrivner |
Yum! Brands, Inc.
Exhibit Index
(Item 15)