Yum! Brands (YUM), owner of KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, is one of our best long ideas in Restaurants. We think Yum! is attractive on the long side for 2013 for several reasons: the company is better diversified than Starbucks (SBUX) and McDonald’s (MCD), the recent sell off in the stock makes for a compelling entry point for investors and the company’s improving US business complements strong international unit growth in 2013. Recent news related to a KFC China chicken supplier and its excessive use of antibiotics in its feed has pushed YUM shares lower but we see the most important fundamentals related to the stock as positive from here.
The chart posted above highlights our macro team's quantitative view of the stocks. Currently, YUM is in a bearish formation with near-term TRADE and intermediate-term TREND resistance at $67.45 and $68.81, respectively.
