Unilever plc vs Yum China Holdings Inc — how do they compare? Unilever plc trades at $61.51 (market cap $134.06B), while Yum China Holdings Inc trades at $47.63 (market cap $16.28B). The key difference: Unilever plc is far larger — about 8.2× Yum China Holdings Inc's market cap, and Unilever plc pays the higher dividend (3.65%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| UL | YUMC | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $134.06B | $16.28B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $74.59 | $57.95 |
52-Week Low | $55.05 | $40.18 |
Enterprise Value | $159.86B | $17.19B |
Dividend Yield | 3.65% | 2.44% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Unilever (UL) trades at $62.86, down 0.16% on the day, with a bearish technical signal. The stock shows strong profitability with a net income margin of 18.75% and ROE of 53.32%, though recent quarters have seen EPS misses. Revenue declined to $50.50B in 2025, but cash flow from operations remains robust at $8.35B. News highlights include a planned $65 billion merger with McCormick's food business and strong Q2 2026 volume growth, prompting an upgraded outlook.
The outlook is mixed: valuation ratios like P/E of 20.84 are reasonable, and the merger could drive growth, but consistent earnings misses and a high P/B of 7.49 pose risks. Analyst sentiment is neutral with 51.36% hold ratings. Investors should weigh the transformative deal potential against execution risks and margin pressures in a volatile consumer goods market.
YUMC trades at $48.19, up 0.98% today, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and strong earnings beats in recent quarters. The company reported revenue of $11.80B in 2025 with a net income margin of 7.84%, and recently completed the acquisition of the Pizza Hut brand in Mainland China, enhancing strategic control. Analyst consensus is strongly positive with 14 buy ratings and a projected 26.21% upside potential.
The outlook for YUMC is favorable due to consistent earnings growth, store expansion, and the Pizza Hut acquisition eliminating royalty fees. Risks include macroeconomic headwinds in China and competitive pressures. Wall Street sentiment remains bullish, supported by institutional confidence and positive earnings momentum.
Trailing returns across standard periods
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 →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.
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