Yum Brands (YUM) Q2 2026 earnings
The Taco Bell logo is displayed at a Taco Bell restaurant in Pasadena, California, on July 14, 2026.
Mario Tama | Getty Images
Yum Brands It reported mixed quarterly results on Wednesday but offered no details on how the cyclospora outbreak linked to Taco Bell restaurants has affected its business.
Since the Food and Drug Administration first linked the parasite outbreak to iceberg lettuce served by Taco Bell in mid-July, daily traffic to the chain’s locations has fallen by double-digit percentages, according to Placer.ai data. Yum relies on Taco Bell as the company’s “growth engine,” and the crisis puts that title in jeopardy, at least in the near term.
The results Yum reported were from the second quarter that ended June 30, before it was attributed to a foodborne illness outbreak. During Yum’s earnings conference call, which begins at 8:15 a.m. ET, executives will likely face questions about the related sales decline at Taco Bell and its impact on future earnings. The restaurant company generally doesn’t provide a view of same-store sales growth or earnings per share for the full year or the next quarter.
Other restaurant chains not involved in the epidemic also experienced a decline in sales. Chipotle Mexican Grill Consumers’ distrust of chains serving fresh lettuce hurt sales in the second half of July, executives said.
Here’s what Yum reported compared to Wall Street’s expectations, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:
- Earnings per share: Adjusted $1.62, expected $1.58
- Revenues: 2.17 billion dollars, while the expectation was 2.2 billion dollars
Yum reported second-quarter net income of $853 million, or $3.08 per share, compared to $374 million, or $1.33 per share, a year earlier.
The restaurant company earned $1.62 per share, excluding charges related to its strategic review of Pizza Hut and other items.
Net income It increased by 12% to $2.17 billion, driven by new restaurant openings.
The company’s global same-store sales increased 3% in the quarter; This was roughly in line with StreetAccount’s growth forecast of 2.9%.
Taco Bell’s same-store sales increased 7% in the quarter. The Mexican-inspired chain has long been the top performer in Yum’s portfolio.
KFC reported 2% growth in same-store sales. According to Yum, system sales in China, its largest market, increased by 6%.
Pizza Hut’s same-store sales fell 1%. Last month, Yum announced the sale of its long-struggling pizza chain to private equity firm LongRange Capital. delicious chinese For $2.7 billion.
