Q4 Earnings Roundup: Yum! Brands (NYSE:YUM) And The Rest Of The Traditional Fast Food Segment

As the craze of earnings season draws to a close, here’s a look back at some of the most exciting (and some less so) results from Q4. Today, we are looking at traditional fast food stocks, starting with Yum! Brands (NYSE:YUM).

Traditional fast-food restaurants are renowned for their speed and convenience, boasting menus filled with familiar and budget-friendly items. Their reputations for on-the-go consumption make them favored destinations for individuals and families needing a quick meal. This class of restaurants, however, is fighting the perception that their meals are unhealthy and made with inferior ingredients, a battle that's especially relevant today given the consumers increasing focus on health and wellness.

The 11 traditional fast food stocks we track reported a strong Q4. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.2%.

In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady. On average, they are relatively unchanged since the latest earnings results.

Yum! Brands (NYSE:YUM)

Spun off as an independent company from PepsiCo, Yum! Brands (NYSE:YUM) is a multinational corporation that owns KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and The Habit Burger Grill.

Yum! Brands reported revenues of $2.51 billion, up 6.4% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 2.7%. Overall, it was a very strong quarter for the company with an impressive beat of analysts’ revenue estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ same-store sales estimates.

The market was likely pricing in the results, and the stock is flat since reporting. It currently trades at $159.86.

We think Yum! Brands is a good business, but is it a buy today? Read our full report here, it’s free.

Best Q4: Krispy Kreme (NASDAQ:DNUT)

Famous for its Original Glazed doughnuts and parent company of Insomnia Cookies, Krispy Kreme (NASDAQ:DNUT) is one of the most beloved and well-known fast-food chains in the world.

Krispy Kreme reported revenues of $392.4 million, down 2.9% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 1%. The business had an exceptional quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 14.4% since reporting. It currently trades at $3.42.

Is now the time to buy Krispy Kreme? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q4: Jack in the Box (NASDAQ:JACK)

Delighting customers since its inception in 1951, Jack in the Box (NASDAQ:JACK) is a distinctive fast-food chain known for its bold flavors, innovative menu items, and quirky marketing.

Jack in the Box reported revenues of $349.5 million, down 5.8% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 4.8%. It was a softer quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ revenue estimates and a miss of analysts’ same-store sales estimates.

Jack in the Box delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates in the group. As expected, the stock is down 36.4% since the results and currently trades at $14.01.

Read our full analysis of Jack in the Box’s results here.

McDonald's (NYSE:MCD)

With nicknames spanning Mickey D's in the U.S. to Makku in Japan, McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) is a fast-food behemoth known for its convenience and broken ice cream machines.

McDonald's reported revenues of $7.01 billion, up 9.7% year on year. This result surpassed analysts’ expectations by 2.6%. Overall, it was a very strong quarter as it also logged an impressive beat of analysts’ same-store sales estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.

The stock is up 1.9% since reporting and currently trades at $329.45.

Read our full, actionable report on McDonald's here, it’s free.

Papa John's (NASDAQ:PZZA)

Founded by the eclectic John “Papa John” Schnatter, Papa John’s (NASDAQ:PZZA) is a globally recognized pizza delivery and carryout chain known for “better ingredients” and “better pizza”.

Papa John's reported revenues of $498.2 million, down 6.1% year on year. This print lagged analysts' expectations by 3.8%. It was a slower quarter as it also logged a significant miss of analysts’ revenue estimates and full-year EBITDA guidance missing analysts’ expectations.

Papa John's had the slowest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is down 3.7% since reporting and currently trades at $32.59.

Read our full, actionable report on Papa John's here, it’s free.

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