Press Release dated January 29, 2004 Asian Flu and EPS guidance


UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)
January 29, 2004

Commission file number 1-13163

YUM! BRANDS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

North Carolina   13-3951308
  
(State or other jurisdiction   (IRS Employer
of incorporation or organization)   Identification No.)


1441 Gardiner Lane, Louisville, Kentucky                40213
(Address of principal executive offices)                 (Zip Code)


Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:       (502) 874-8300


Former name or former address, if changed since last report:   N/A





Item 5. OTHER EVENTS

On January 29, 2004, YUM! Brands, Inc. announced that the Company does not anticipate a material impact on overall sales, profits or supplies as a result of the avian-flu situation in Asia based on information available to date. The company confirmed its 2004 first-quarter EPS guidance of $0.43.

Item 7. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

(c)     Exhibits

99      Press release dated January 29, 2004 from YUM! Brands, Inc.



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SIGNATURE

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

  YUM! BRANDS, INC.
          (Registrant)




Date:  January 30, 2004 /s/    Gregory N. Moore                                
Senior Vice President and Controller
(Principal Accounting Officer)




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Yum! Brands Inc. Comments on Avian Flu
Confirms First-Quarter 2004 Earnings Guidance

Louisville, KY. (January 29, 2004) - Yum! Brands Inc. (NYSE: YUM) announced today that the company does not anticipate a material impact on overall sales, profits or supplies as a result of the avian-flu situation in Asia based on information available to date.

Sales for China, Yum! Brands’ largest company-owned market in Asia, remain very strong and have not been impacted by this situation. As a result, the company confirmed its 2004 first-quarter EPS guidance of $0.43.

The company and its international operating division, Yum! Restaurants International, have been actively monitoring the avian-flu situation in Asia and working closely with suppliers to ensure a safe food supply. To date, no suppliers have reported incidences of the avian flu, and the company has made contingency plans for alternative sourcing should that become necessary.

This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements include those identified by such words as may, will, expect, project, anticipate, believe, plan and other similar terminology. These “forward-looking” statements reflect management’s current expectations regarding future events and operating and financial performance and are based on currently available data. However, actual results are subject to future events and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those projected in this announcement. Factors that can cause actual results to differ materially include changes in global and local business, economic and political conditions in the countries and territories where Yum! Brands operates, including the effects of war and terrorist activities; changes in currency exchange and interest rates; changes in commodity, labor and other operating costs; changes in competition in the food industry, consumer preferences, spending patterns and demographic trends; the effectiveness of our operating initiatives and advertising and promotional efforts; new-product and concept development by Yum! Brands and other food-industry competitors; the success of our refranchising strategy; the ongoing business viability of our franchise and license operators; our ability to secure alternative distribution to our restaurants at competitive rates and to ensure adequate supplies of restaurant products and equipment in our stores; severe weather conditions; effects of legal claims; changes in effective tax rates; our actuarially determined casualty loss estimates; changes in legislation and governmental regulations; and changes in accounting policies and practices. Further information about factors that could affect Yum! Brands’ financial and other results are included in the company’s Forms 10-Q and 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Yum! Brands Inc., based in Louisville, Kentucky, is the world’s largest restaurant company in terms of system units with more than 33,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries and territories. Four of the company’s restaurant brands - KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Long John Silver’s - are the global leaders of the chicken, pizza, Mexican-style food and quick-service seafood categories respectively. Yum! Brands is the worldwide leader in multibranding, which offers consumers more choice and convenience at one restaurant location from a combination of KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, A&W or Long John Silver’s brands. The company and its franchisees today operate over 2,000 multibrand restaurants. Outside the United States in 2003, the Yum! Brands’ system opened about three new restaurants each day of the year, making it one of the fastest growing retailers in the world. In 2002, the company changed its name to Yum! Brands Inc. from Tricon Global Restaurants Inc. to reflect its expanding portfolio of brands and its ticker symbol on the New York Stock Exchange. In 2003 the company was recognized in Fortune Magazine’s top 50 “Best Companies for Minorities,” claiming the number-one spot for “managerial diversity.”