QSR vs YUM: Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?

Same yardstick, side by side (as of September 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.

Reading it: QSR is the cheaper of the two on forward earnings, but cheaper is not the same as better. Pair the valuation with growth (how far the forward P/E sits below the trailing P/E) and risk (beta) before you decide.

The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. QSR and YUM share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.

This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined QSR and YUM exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.

Restaurant Brands International Inc. was created in 2014 when Burger King and Tim Hortons combined under 3G Capital's sponsorship, and it has since added Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen (2017) and Firehouse Subs (2021). As of June 30, 2026 it described itself as one of the world's largest quick-service restaurant companies, with nearly ~$49 billion of annual system-wide sales and ~33,156 restaurants in more than 120 countries, over ~95% of them franchised. The company reports six segments: four home-market franchisor segments (TH, BK, PLK and FHS covering the US and Canada), a fifth franchisor segment (INTL) for every brand everywhere else, and a sixth, Restaurant Holdings (RH), which holds the company-operated Burger King restaurants picked up in the 2024 Carrols Restaurant Group acquisition plus Popeyes China and Firehouse Subs Brazil. RH exists to be wound down: management intends to refranchise the vast majority of the Carrols restaurants and find partners for the other two, then sunset the segment. A related simplification already happened in January 2026, when RBI put Burger King China into a joint venture with CPE, which invested ~$350 million of primary capital, leaving RBI with a ~17% equity stake and royalty revenue inside INTL instead of a consolidated operating business.

Full QSR guide

Yum! Brands operates one of the largest restaurant systems in the world, spanning roughly 60,000 units across more than 155 countries under the KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and Habit Burger banners. The business is almost entirely franchised (around 98% of units), which makes it capital-light: Yum collects royalties and franchise fees on system sales rather than running most restaurants itself, producing high margins and steady free cash flow. Digital and delivery have become central, with digital sales reaching a record share (near 63%) of total system sales in early 2026.

Full YUM guide

Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.

• QSR drivers: Burger King US is doing the heavy lifting again; International is where the units and the royalty margin are.
• YUM drivers: Taco Bell momentum; KFC global unit build-out.

A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: Two of the four brands are going backwards in their home markets: Popeyes comparable sales fell ~5.1% in the quarter (~-5.2% in the US) and its segment adjusted operating income slipped to ~$63 million from ~$66 million, while Tim Hortons comparable sales were ~0.1% (~0.1% in Canada) even though TH is still the largest single AOI contributor at ~$287 million, so the group's growth depends heavily on Burger King's momentum persisting against tougher comparisons. For YUM, consumer-spending softness, value-menu price wars, and commodity or labor inflation can pressure franchisee traffic and, in turn, royalty income.

Pick QSR if you believe its drivers more; YUM if you believe its. Many investors hold both, but since they share themes, that is a concentrated bet, not diversification. Decide deliberately and check overlap. For the full detail, see the QSR and YUM guides.

QSR. Figures are approximate, tied to August 2026 and drawn from the Q2 2026 earnings release and Form 10-Q filed August 6, 2026, so verify live data before acting on any of them. Three adjustments keep the multiples honest. First, use ~454.5 million shares plus units, not ~348.8 million shares: RBI's own diluted EPS already assumes ~100% conversion of the exchangeable units under the if-converted method, which is why weighted average diluted shares were ~460 million in the quarter against ~348 million basic. Second, the ~3.8x price-to-sales ratio compares badly with pure franchisors because roughly half of reported revenue is low-margin Tim Hortons supply chain distribution and company-operated restaurant sales at the RH segment, neither of which resembles a royalty stream. Third, trailing GAAP earnings were lifted by discrete tax benefits from intra-group reorganisations and by the Burger King China deconsolidation, so adjusted diluted EPS of ~$1.93 for the first half is the cleaner read on run-rate earning power.

YUM. Yum trades at roughly a mid-20s trailing earnings multiple, a premium that reflects its franchise-royalty margins, global brand strength, and cash returns. Q1 2026 showed revenue up about 15% year over year and net income jumping sharply on Taco Bell and KFC strength, with digital sales at a record share. The dividend payout ratio sits around half of earnings, leaving room for continued buybacks.

Headline figures (approximate, August 2026): QSR shows revenue (ttm) ~$9.70 billion for the twelve months to June 30, 2026, versus ~$9.43 billion in fiscal 2025 and ~$8.41 billion in fiscal 2024; second-quarter revenue ~$2.52 billion, up ~4.6% from ~$2.41 billion, earnings Q2 2026 income from operations ~$716 million (up ~48%), net income from continuing operations ~$665 million, diluted EPS from continuing operations ~$1.45 versus ~$0.58; adjusted diluted EPS ~$1.07, up ~12.9%. First half: ~$1,110 million net income from continuing operations, ~$2.42 diluted EPS, ~$1.93 adjusted EPS. Trailing GAAP EPS ~$3.71, system scale and same-store sales ~33,156 restaurants and ~$12.70 billion of Q2 system-wide sales (up ~6.4% in constant currency), nearly ~$49 billion annualised; consolidated comparable sales ~3.8% and net restaurant growth ~2.9%. By segment: BK ~8.6%, INTL ~5.5%, FHS ~0.4%, TH ~0.1%, PLK ~-5.1%, segment profitability Q2 adjusted operating income ~$715 million and adjusted EBITDA ~$810 million: TH ~$287 million on ~$1,137 million of revenue, INTL ~$194 million on ~$274 million, BK ~$137 million on ~$397 million, PLK ~$63 million on ~$199 million, FHS ~$17 million on ~$62 million. Organic AOI growth ~6.7% in the quarter and ~8.5% for the first half, against ~8%+ full-year guidance; YUM shows revenue (ttm) ~$8.0B, q1 2026 revenue ~$2.06B (up ~15% YoY), market cap ~$41B, p/e (ttm) ~24-25x.

QSR and YUM are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined QSR and YUM exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.