Yum! Brands reported strong fourth-quarter 2024 earnings, surpassing Wall Street expectations. Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) were $1.61, exceeding the $1.59 estimate, while revenue reached $2.36 billion, slightly above the $2.34 billion forecast. Same-store sales rose 1%, driven by robust performance at Taco Bell, which saw a 5% increase in U.S. same-store sales. KFC's international restaurants also contributed to the results, although U.S. same-store sales for KFC declined by 5%. Pizza Hut and Habit Burger reported a 2% decline and flat performance, respectively. Yum! Brands increased its quarterly dividend by 6% to $0.71 per share. Net income for the quarter was $423 million, with net sales climbing 16%. Meanwhile, Yum China, a separate entity, reported a 5% rise in operating profit for 2024, reaching $1.2 billion, with revenue climbing 3% to $11.3 billion. Yum China's results were driven by same-store transaction growth, restaurant margin expansion, and a 50% dividend increase.