Barclays Boosts Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI) Price Target to $232.00

Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI) had its price target lifted by investment analysts at Barclays from $227.00 to $232.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “overweight” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Barclays‘s target price indicates a potential upside of 14.29% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other brokerages have also recently commented on DRI. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $225.00 price objective on shares of Darden Restaurants in a research note on Friday. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $230.00 target price on shares of Darden Restaurants in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on shares of Darden Restaurants from $208.00 to $215.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Darden Restaurants from $234.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, Mizuho upgraded shares of Darden Restaurants from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $195.00 to $235.00 in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Eighteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $226.24.

Darden Restaurants Price Performance

DRI stock opened at $202.99 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 0.39 and a quick ratio of 0.26. The company’s 50-day moving average is $208.09 and its 200-day moving average is $194.56. The stock has a market capitalization of $23.37 billion, a PE ratio of 21.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 0.61. Darden Restaurants has a 1 year low of $169.00 and a 1 year high of $228.27.

Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, March 19th. The restaurant operator reported $2.95 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.94 by $0.01. Darden Restaurants had a return on equity of 53.54% and a net margin of 8.66%.The business had revenue of $3.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.33 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.80 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts expect that Darden Restaurants will post 9.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Darden Restaurants news, insider John W. Wilkerson sold 2,258 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $213.00, for a total transaction of $480,954.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 17,784 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,787,992. This trade represents a 11.27% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP Susan M. Connelly sold 2,635 shares of Darden Restaurants stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $207.36, for a total transaction of $546,393.60. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 4,098 shares in the company, valued at $849,761.28. This represents a 39.14% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 18,770 shares of company stock worth $3,948,970. 0.49% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Darden Restaurants in the 2nd quarter worth about $26,000. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Darden Restaurants in the 2nd quarter valued at about $29,000. Quent Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Darden Restaurants during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Torren Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Darden Restaurants in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Finally, Union Savings Bank purchased a new position in shares of Darden Restaurants in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. 93.64% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Darden Restaurants

Here are the key news stories impacting Darden Restaurants this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 results and guidance lift — Darden reported $2.95 EPS (in line/just above consensus), revenue of $3.35B (+5.9% YoY) and raised its full‑year outlook for sales and adjusted EPS, citing strength at LongHorn and unit growth. Management’s guidance lift is the primary catalyst for optimism. PR Newswire: Q3 Results & Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts lift targets and ratings — A wave of firms raised targets (Citigroup to $238, Deutsche Bank to $230, Barclays to $232, KeyCorp, BTIG, others), with several reaffirming Buy/Overweight ratings. That collective upward revision signals stronger Street momentum behind the stock. Benzinga: Analysts Increase Forecasts
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend declared & capital returns — Darden announced a quarterly dividend (covers April record / May pay date) and continues significant buybacks; MarketBeat highlights strong cash flow and share‑count reduction as supportive of future returns. That makes the stock more attractive to income and valuation‑focused investors. MarketBeat: Growth & Cash Flow
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call / transcripts available — Management held the Q3 call and released transcripts/slides (useful for digging into LFLs, unit‑economics, weather impacts and cadence of buybacks). Investors should review the call for color on margins and FY26 assumptions. MSN: Q3 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: One‑time charges and brand exit — Darden took impairments and other one‑offs tied to the Bahama Breeze review and planned closures/conversions; GAAP results look weaker as a result. These items compress near‑term margins and add uncertainty around restructuring costs. MarketBeat: One‑offs & Impairments
• Negative Sentiment: Risks flagged by some commentary — A few writeups note building risks (weather, commodity/labor pressure, and noise from restructuring) that could press margins even as revenue growth remains healthy. Seeking Alpha: Risks Building

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.