A tasty year for Yum! Brands?

Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM) reported earnings last night, and while they weren't the stuff of bubble-like growth, I found them tasty enough. The top line grew by a tame 9% for fiscal 2007, while the bottom line expanded by a much healthier (did I actually use the word "healthier" in a post about Yum! Brands?) 15%, with earnings per diluted share rising to $1.68 versus $1.46 for fiscal 2006. You can thank growth in China, a lower tax rate, a reduction in share count due to buybacks, and that little thing that so many investors love but feels so un-American -- the weak greenback -- for the bottom-line performance.

I've never been to Taco Bell, there are no Pizza Huts in my area, and I only get KFC a few times a year (one of those times being Thanksgiving -- I kid you not, no turkey for me), but I think Yum! is an interesting company and its stock is one that long-term investors can feel comfortable looking at. In my opinion, its P/E is reasonable based on company guidance of $1.85 for 2008. In addition, operating cash flow for 2007 increased 20% to $1.6 billion.

Big caveat here is the dismal same-store performance experienced in the U.S -- system-wide comps were flat and company-wide comps declined 3%. Bad though that may be, I still have confidence in the value of the brands, and I believe that, in time, management will stumble upon new marketing campaigns to get the comps up. For now, investors can look positively upon the company's recent dividend history and the willingness of Yum! to purchase its own shares. With shares are off their highs and with the company's quarterly results of 44 cents per share beating analyst estimates yet again, you'll see why Yum! might indeed be worth a bit of diligence.