Yum Brands Stock Price, News & Analysis

KFC is partnering with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) to strengthen mentoring relationships. The company is donating $275,000 to provide meals for 5,000 mentors and youth this summer. KFC's contribution includes $175,000 in meals and $100,000 for workforce mentoring programs, enhancing youth career opportunities. This initiative aligns with BBBSA's mission to support positive youth outcomes, having assisted over 2 million youth in the past decade. The program aims to foster connections and empower young people through mentorship.

Yum! Brands recently announced the release of R.E.D. Marketing: The Three Ingredients of Leading Brands, authored by CMO Ken Muench and former CEO Greg Creed. This book outlines the R.E.D. Marketing principles - Relevance, Ease, and Distinctiveness - which have driven sales growth for Yum!'s brands like KFC and Taco Bell globally. The authors emphasize the importance of a cohesive marketing strategy, especially post-pandemic. All profits from the book will be donated to The Yum! Brands Foundation, supporting community initiatives.

Pizza Hut, a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, reintroduces the iconic Edge® pizza, featuring a thin crust loaded with toppings, just in time for summer. The Edge, first launched in 1997, utilizes Thin 'N Crispy® dough and is now available in four recipes: The Ultimate, The Carnivore, The Vegetarian, and Pepperoni Lover's®, priced at $12.99 each for a limited time. Customers can order via contactless delivery, carryout, and more. With nearly 18,000 locations globally, Pizza Hut continues to lead in the pizza industry while ensuring a safe dining experience.

Yum! Brands has entered into a binding agreement to acquire Dragontail Systems for A$93.5 million. This acquisition aims to integrate Dragontail’s AI kitchen order management technology into Yum’s operations, enhancing delivery capabilities, particularly at Pizza Hut. Dragontail’s platform is already utilized in nearly 1,500 Pizza Hut locations across 10 countries. The acquisition, intended to close by Q3 2021, is expected to have an immaterial impact on Yum's 2021 financial results, pending regulatory approvals.

Yum! Brands, Inc. has partnered with the University of Louisville to launch the Yum! Center for Global Franchise Excellence, the first public university franchise education program. This initiative aims to support franchisees with extensive online education about franchising across various sectors. Focused on promoting equity, the Center will help underrepresented groups, particularly women and people of color, gain access to opportunities in franchise ownership. This program is part of Yum!'s $100 million commitment to its Unlocking Opportunity Initiative.

Pizza Hut announces a nostalgic return of the BOOK IT! program with Camp BOOK IT!, a summer reading initiative for kids aged 4-12. This program runs from June to August, rewarding participants with a free Personal Pan Pizza for meeting reading goals. Additionally, Pizza Hut unveils the $10 Tastemaker pizza, allowing customers to customize their order with various toppings. The campaign highlights Pizza Hut's commitment to literacy and community engagement, with the launch of themed merchandise like vintage-inspired t-shirts.

Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM) is hosting a virtual KFC Investor Day on May 25, 2021. The event will showcase the KFC division, which has over 25,000 restaurants across 145 countries. Attendees will meet the diverse leaders driving this global business. The live webcast can be viewed on the Yum! Brands website at investors.yum.com. Yum! Brands operates over 50,000 restaurants and has been recognized for its commitment to gender equality and sustainability.

Yum! Brands has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.50 per share, to be distributed on June 11, 2021, to shareholders recorded by May 28, 2021. Furthermore, the Board approved a new share repurchase program allowing up to $2 billion in repurchases from July 1, 2021, to December 31, 2022. This follows an unutilized prior authorization ending on June 30, 2021 due to suspended repurchases in 2020 amid COVID-19 uncertainties. Yum! Brands operates over 50,000 restaurants worldwide across leading food categories.

Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) reported a strong Q1, highlighting a 14% growth and 11% same-store sales growth over two years. In response to increasing demand, KFC is seeking to hire 20,000 permanent positions across the U.S. The roles available include various levels, emphasizing opportunities in management and customer service. The company underscores that more than 75% of its general managers started as team members. Additionally, KFC offers employee benefits through the KFC Foundation, including education grants and training programs.