Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI – Get Free Report)‘s stock had its “equal weight” rating restated by equities researchers at Stephens in a report released on Friday, Benzinga reports. They presently have a $220.00 price target on the restaurant operator’s stock. Stephens’ price target indicates a potential upside of 8.69% from the company’s previous close.
Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Darden Restaurants in a report on Friday, September 11th. Bank of America upped their target price on Darden Restaurants from $272.00 to $276.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, June 5th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Darden Restaurants from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 17th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on shares of Darden Restaurants from $230.00 to $236.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Darden Restaurants in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Eighteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $232.38.
Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Darden Restaurants
Darden Restaurants Stock Performance
Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, September 24th. The restaurant operator reported $2.05 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $2.05. The company had revenue of $3.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.21 billion. Darden Restaurants had a net margin of 9.13% and a return on equity of 57.44%. Darden Restaurants’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.97 earnings per share. Darden Restaurants has set its FY 2027 guidance at 11.100-11.350 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Darden Restaurants will post 11.26 earnings per share for the current year.
Insider Buying and Selling at Darden Restaurants
In other news, CEO Ricardo Cardenas sold 39,134 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $209.06, for a total transaction of $8,181,354.04. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 86,146 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,009,682.76. This represents a 31.24% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, insider Laura Williamson sold 443 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, July 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $204.89, for a total value of $90,766.27. Following the sale, the insider owned 5,536 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,134,271.04. This trade represents a 7.41% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 70,185 shares of company stock worth $14,636,984. 0.67% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
Institutional Trading of Darden Restaurants
Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of DRI. Bell Investment Advisors Inc bought a new position in Darden Restaurants in the 2nd quarter worth $28,000. Union Savings Bank bought a new stake in shares of Darden Restaurants in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in Darden Restaurants during the second quarter valued at approximately $34,000. HHM Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Darden Restaurants by 44.8% during the first quarter. HHM Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 181 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Keating Financial Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in Darden Restaurants during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $39,000. 93.64% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
More Darden Restaurants News
Here are the key news stories impacting Darden Restaurants this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains strong: Mizuho raised its price target to $245 and assigned an “outperform” rating, while Guggenheim and BTIG reaffirmed “buy” ratings with $235 targets. Bernstein also maintained a “buy” rating and a $230 target, citing resilient operating trends and diversified concepts. Bernstein analyst rating
- Positive Sentiment: Darden reaffirmed fiscal 2027 adjusted EPS guidance of $11.10 to $11.35, broadly consistent with analyst expectations, and continued to point to sales growth, share repurchases and stable capital returns. Darden guidance and Yard House expansion
- Positive Sentiment: The company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.62 per share, or $6.48 annualized, representing a yield of roughly 3.1% based on the cited share price. Yard House also plans 13 openings, supporting longer-term unit growth.
- Neutral Sentiment: Analyst views were mixed: Stephens reiterated “equal weight” with a $220 target, while BMO lowered its target to $220 and maintained “market perform.” TD Cowen also kept a “hold” rating with a $215 target.
- Neutral Sentiment: Shareholders elected the board and approved the existing governance structure, removing a potential source of uncertainty but providing no immediate strategic change. Darden shareholder meeting
- Negative Sentiment: Revenue increased 5.1% year over year to $3.20 billion but fell slightly short of the roughly $3.21 billion consensus. Adjusted EPS of $2.05 was reported as meeting some estimates, though other data providers characterized it as a minor miss versus $2.06 expectations. CNBC Darden earnings report
- Negative Sentiment: Profitability weakened as higher food and labor costs pushed reported net income lower year over year. Portfolio same-restaurant sales rose 3.1%, but Olive Garden growth slowed to 1.1%, overshadowing stronger 6.2% growth at LongHorn Steakhouse.
Darden Restaurants Company Profile
Darden Restaurants, Inc (NYSE: DRI) is a full-service restaurant company headquartered in Orlando, Florida. It operates and franchises a portfolio of dining brands serving a range of cuisines, price points and occasions, with restaurants primarily located in the United States and select international markets.
Its restaurant portfolio includes Olive Garden, an Italian-American dining chain; LongHorn Steakhouse; Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen; Yard House; The Capital Grille; Seasons 52; Bahama Breeze; Eddie V’s; Ruth’s Chris Steak House; and Chuy’s.
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