This story was originally published on CIO Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily CIO Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: Yum Brands continues to roll out AI tools to more of its restaurants quarter after quarter in an adoption push that will extend into 2026, CFO Ranjith Roy said during the company’s Q3 2025 earnings call Tuesday.  AI-powered Byte Coach, a recommendation tool for store managers, went live in an additional 4,000 KFC restaurants internationally this quarter, bring ...

Core Insights - Yum Brands reported Q3 2025 revenue of $1.98 billion, an 8.2% year-over-year increase, surpassing Wall Street forecasts by approximately $10 million [1] - Global system sales rose by 5%, driven by Taco Bell's 9% growth and KFC's 6% increase [1][6] - The company achieved record digital sales, with digital sales accounting for about 60% of total sales [2][6] Financial Performance - KFC U.S. same-store sales increased by 2%, marking its first positive quarter in six quarters [6] - Taco Bell U.S. same-store sales grew by 7% [6] - Pizza Hut U.S. same-store sales fell by 6%, with system sales declining by 7% [6] Strategic Initiatives - New CEO Chris Turner outlined three priorities for growth: staying relevant with younger consumers, leveraging global scale to enhance franchisee economics, and expanding the AI-powered platform Byte [2] - Yum Brands is exploring strategic options for the Pizza Hut brand due to eight consecutive quarters of same-store sales declines [3][4] - The intent behind exploring options for Pizza Hut is to maximize value for shareholders and help the brand reach its full potential [3]

Core Insights - DENTSPLY SIRONA Inc. is set to release its second-quarter 2025 results on August 7, with expectations of revenue at $851.6 million and earnings at 29 cents per share [2][3] Group 1: Q2 Performance Expectations - The company has shown an average earnings surprise of 2.73% over the past four quarters, indicating a potential for positive performance [2] - The Imaging segment is expected to benefit from the relaunch of Orthophos SL and Primescan 2, which may have driven growth, particularly in Europe and APAC [4] - Orthodontics, particularly SureSmile, is anticipated to show stable global growth, although U.S. performance may be hindered by softer discretionary spending [5] Group 2: Challenges and Headwinds - The suspension of Byte aligner sales is projected to negatively impact organic sales by approximately two percentage points in 2025, affecting second-quarter results as well [6] - Essential Dental Solutions may have experienced stable patient traffic, but overall segment growth is likely to be limited by softness in elective procedures and weak U.S. implant sales [7] - Connected Technology Solutions, including CAD/CAM, continues to face macroeconomic pressures, with subdued retail demand in the U.S. despite growth in Germany [8] Group 3: Operational Insights - DENTSPLY SIRONA's Phase II transformation activities are on track to deliver full run-rate savings by the end of 2025, with expectations of gradual stabilization in gross margins throughout the year [9] - Cost initiatives and SKU rationalization may contribute to improved gross margins, aiding quarter-over-quarter growth in Q2 [11] Group 4: Earnings Prediction Model - The current model does not predict an earnings beat for DENTSPLY SIRONA, with an Earnings ESP of -0.99% and a Zacks Rank of 2 [12][13]