Yum's China sales down 13% in July

KFC and Pizza Hut parent Yum! Brands (YUM.NYSE) saw July earnings fall 13% in China as its fast food business was hurt by an avian flu outbreak and the lingering impact of safety concerns with its chicken suppliers, Reuters reported. According to Consensus Metrix, analysts in general had expected a 7.1% decline in China’s July same-store sales. Yum generates more than half of its overall operating profit in China, where it is the biggest Western restaurant operator with roughly 6,000 mostly KFC restaurants. The company repeated its forecast for same-restaurant sales in China to turn around in the fourth quarter.