Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI) Shares Acquired Rep. Rick Larsen

Representative Rick Larsen (D-Washington) recently bought shares of Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE:DRI). In a filing disclosed on January 14th, the Representative disclosed that they had bought between $1,001 and $15,000 in Darden Restaurants stock on January 7th. The trade occurred in the Representative’s “RICHARD R LARSEN IRA” account.

Representative Rick Larsen also recently made the following trade(s):

• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Verisk Analytics (NASDAQ:VRSK) on 1/7/2026.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) on 1/7/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Mondelez International (NASDAQ:MDLZ) on 1/7/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Essex Property Trust (NYSE:ESS) on 1/7/2026.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Waste Management (NYSE:WM) on 1/7/2026.

Darden Restaurants Stock Performance

Shares of DRI opened at $214.96 on Friday. Darden Restaurants, Inc. has a one year low of $169.00 and a one year high of $228.27. The company has a market cap of $24.75 billion, a PE ratio of 22.53, a P/E/G ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 0.64. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $185.35 and a 200-day moving average of $194.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 0.39 and a quick ratio of 0.26.

Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 18th. The restaurant operator reported $2.08 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.10 by ($0.02). Darden Restaurants had a net margin of 8.92% and a return on equity of 52.44%. The firm had revenue of $3.10 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.07 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.03 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.3% on a year-over-year basis. Darden Restaurants has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.500-10.700 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Darden Restaurants, Inc. will post 9.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Darden Restaurants Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 2nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 9th will be paid a $1.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 9th. This represents a $6.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. Darden Restaurants’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 62.89%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently commented on the company. Truist Financial reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $207.00 price target (down from $240.00) on shares of Darden Restaurants in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Guggenheim decreased their target price on Darden Restaurants from $235.00 to $230.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Stephens reiterated an “equal weight” rating and set a $205.00 target price on shares of Darden Restaurants in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Darden Restaurants from $225.00 to $200.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, September 19th. Finally, Mizuho raised their price objective on shares of Darden Restaurants from $185.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Nineteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $223.00.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Susan M. Connelly sold 2,635 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $207.36, for a total transaction of $546,393.60. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 4,098 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $849,761.28. This trade represents a 39.14% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Todd Burrowes sold 7,103 shares of Darden Restaurants stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $207.12, for a total transaction of $1,471,173.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 44,252 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,165,474.24. The trade was a 13.83% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.49% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Darden Restaurants

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of DRI. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Darden Restaurants in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Quent Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Darden Restaurants during the 3rd quarter valued at about $27,000. True Wealth Design LLC boosted its stake in Darden Restaurants by 419.2% in the second quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 135 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in Darden Restaurants during the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Ameriflex Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Darden Restaurants during the third quarter worth approximately $35,000. Institutional investors own 93.64% of the company’s stock.

About Representative Larsen

Rick Larsen (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing Washington’s 2nd Congressional District. He assumed office on January 3, 2001. His current term ends on January 3, 2027.

Larsen (Democratic Party) is running for re-election to the U.S. House to represent Washington’s 2nd Congressional District. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.

Since at least 2011, Larsen has been assigned to the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Larsen’s first position as an elected official was in 1998 as a member of the Snohomish County Council.

Larsen earned his bachelor’s degree from Pacific Lutheran University. After earning his master’s degree in public affairs from the University of Minnesota, Larsen worked as the director of public affairs for the Washington State Dental Association and then as an economic development official with the Port of Everett. He went on to serve on the Snohomish County Council before seeking election to the U.S. House.

About Darden Restaurants

Darden Restaurants, Inc is a multi-brand, full-service restaurant company headquartered in Orlando, Florida. The company owns and operates a portfolio of casual and fine-dining concepts that together serve millions of guests through company-owned and franchised locations. Its well-known brands include Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse, alongside other dining concepts that span Italian, American, steakhouse and upscale casual formats.

Darden’s restaurants provide a range of guest-facing services including dine-in, takeout, delivery and catering, and feature menus tailored to each brand’s positioning—Italian-American fare at Olive Garden, steaks and grilled items at LongHorn, and more premium steakhouse and chef-driven offerings at its upscale concepts.