Lamb Weston Holdings Inc vs Yum China Holdings Inc — how do they compare? Lamb Weston Holdings Inc trades at $49.3 (market cap $6.53B), while Yum China Holdings Inc trades at $43.29 (market cap $14.69B). The key difference: Yum China Holdings Inc is far larger — about 2.2× Lamb Weston Holdings Inc's market cap, and Lamb Weston Holdings Inc pays the higher dividend (3.22%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| LW | YUMC | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $6.53B | $14.69B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $66.57 | $57.95 |
52-Week Low | $38.48 | $40.18 |
Enterprise Value | $10.49B | $15.57B |
Dividend Yield | 3.22% | 2.71% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Lamb Weston (LW) trades at $47.26, up 1.0% on the day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages. The stock shows consistent earnings beats in recent quarters, with Q2 2026 results pending. Revenue reached $6.45B in 2025, though net income margin compressed to 4.61%. Analyst consensus is a $49.33 price target with a mixed buy/hold rating split. Recent news highlights the company's 'Focus to Win' strategy driving North America volume gains and cost savings, alongside ongoing legal challenges.
LW presents a turnaround story with cost-saving initiatives and market share gains supporting upside potential. However, margin pressures, a pending securities lawsuit, and high debt levels pose significant risks. The stock's valuation at a P/E of 21.88 appears reasonable if earnings growth resumes, but investors face headwinds from competitive and operational challenges.
YUMC trades at $42.77, down 2.51% today, with a bullish technical outlook supported by moving averages despite overbought RSI readings. The company shows consistent revenue growth, reaching $11.80B in 2025, and has beaten earnings estimates in three consecutive quarters. Recent strategic moves include the acquisition of Pizza Hut China, enhancing local control and cost synergies. Analyst sentiment remains strongly positive with 14 buy ratings and no sell recommendations.
The outlook for YUMC is favorable due to solid fundamentals and strategic initiatives, though risks include macroeconomic headwinds in China and competitive pressures. Valuation metrics like a P/E of 16.83 and EV/EBITDA of 8.76 suggest reasonable pricing relative to earnings, supporting potential upside if execution continues to exceed expectations.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Lamb Weston is the world's second-largest producer of branded and private-label frozen potato products, such as French fries, sweet potato fries, tater tots, diced potatoes, mashed potatoes, hash browns, and chips. The company also has a small appetizer business that produces onion rings, mozzarella sticks, and cheese curds. Including joint ventures, 63% of fiscal 2022 revenue was U.S.-based, with the remainder stemming from Europe, Canada, Japan, China, Korea, Mexico, and several other countries. Lamb Weston's customer mix is estimated 58% quick-serve restaurants, 19% full-service restaurants, 8% other food services (hotels, commercial cafeterias, arenas, schools), and 16% retail. Lamb Weston became an independent company in 2016 when it was spun off from Conagra.
Read more on LW →With almost 10,600 units and USD 9.5 billion in systemwide sales in 2020, Yum China is the largest restaurant chain in China. It generates revenue through its own restaurants and franchise fees. Key concepts include KFC (7,166 units) and Pizza Hut (2,355), but the company's portfolio also includes other brands such as Little Sheep, East Dawning, Taco Bell, Huang Ji Huang, COFFii & Joy, and Lavazza (collectively representing about 985 units). Yum China is a trademark licensee of Yum Brands, paying 3% of total systemwide sales to the company it separated from in October 2016.
Read more on YUMC →