Unilever plc vs Yum! Brands, Inc. — how do they compare? Unilever plc trades at $62.18 (market cap $131.86B), while Yum! Brands, Inc. trades at $148 (market cap $40.62B). The key difference: Unilever plc is far larger — about 3.2× Yum! Brands, Inc.'s market cap, and Unilever plc pays the higher dividend (3.68%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| UL | YUM | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $131.86B | $40.62B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $74.59 | $168.16 |
52-Week Low | $55.05 | $138.21 |
Enterprise Value | $157.31B | $51.88B |
Dividend Yield | 3.68% | 2.04% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Unilever (UL) trades at $60.79, down 2.56% today, with a mixed technical and fundamental backdrop. The stock shows a bullish technical signal from moving averages but has missed earnings expectations in recent quarters. Revenue in 2024 was $60.76B with a net income margin of 9.45%, while the company explores strategic moves like a potential bid for Thorne and a partnership with Accenture to scale AI in manufacturing.
The outlook is balanced; strong cash flow and a high ROE of 53.32% support the dividend, but recent earnings misses and a high P/B ratio of 7.55 pose risks. Analyst sentiment is neutral with a 51.36% hold rating, reflecting cautious optimism amid execution challenges and macroeconomic headwinds.
YUM trades at $147.10, down 0.55% amid a cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to Taco Bell lettuce. Technicals are bearish with key support at $145, while fundamentals show steady revenue growth to $8.21B in 2025 and a net margin of 20.48%. The company maintains strong cash flow from operations of $2.01B but carries high long-term debt of $11.25B.
Despite near-term headwinds from food safety concerns, YUM's diversified brand portfolio and consistent profitability support a positive long-term outlook. Analyst consensus price target of $177 suggests 20% upside, but investors should monitor outbreak resolution and Q2 2026 earnings due soon.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Unilever is a diversified personal product (42% of 2021 sales by value), home care (20%), and packaged food (38%) company. Its brands include Knorr soups and sauces, Hellmann's mayonnaise, Lipton teas, Axe and Dove skin products, and the TRESemme haircare brand. The firm has been acquisitive in recent years
Read more on UL →Yum Brands is a U.S.-based restaurant operator featuring a portfolio of four brands: KFC (26,930 global units), Pizza Hut (18,380 units), Taco Bell (7,790 units), and The Habit Burger (310 units) at year-end 2021. With $58 billion in 2021 systemwide sales, the firm is the second-largest restaurant company in the world, behind McDonald's ($112.5 billion) but ahead of Restaurant Brands International ($36 billion) and Starbucks ($25 billion). Yum is 98% franchised, with the largest franchisee, Yum China, created via a 2016 spinoff transaction (after which Yum China agreed to pay 3% royalties to Yum Brands in perpetuity). Yum is the newest evolution of Tricon Brands, formerly a division of PepsiCo, and generates the bulk of its revenue from franchise royalties and marketing contributions.
Read more on YUM →