Yum! Brands sells Pizza Hut, focuses on KFC, Taco Bell, and Habit Burger with share buybacks planned

Yum! Brands has sold Pizza Hut for about $2.3 billion, aiming to streamline its portfolio and focus on KFC, Taco Bell, and Habit Burger. The proceeds will be used to reduce debt and fund significant share buybacks, targeting a mid-single-digit yield. Taco Bell experienced a sales dip due to a health scare but is expected to recover, with management projecting Q3 margins of 19–21%. The stock is downgraded to Hold with a modest upside potential of around 10%.