Hamlin Capital Management LLC Lowers Holdings in Darden Restaurants, Inc. $DRI

Hamlin Capital Management LLC decreased its position in Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE:DRI) by 4.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 859,062 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after selling 44,660 shares during the period. Darden Restaurants makes up approximately 3.8% of Hamlin Capital Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 14th biggest position. Hamlin Capital Management LLC owned 0.75% of Darden Restaurants worth $158,085,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Darden Restaurants during the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Darden Restaurants in the second quarter worth approximately $29,000. Quent Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Darden Restaurants during the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Darden Restaurants during the third quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Finally, Wealth Watch Advisors INC bought a new stake in shares of Darden Restaurants during the third quarter valued at approximately $39,000. 93.64% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting 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

Darden Restaurants Stock Performance

NYSE:DRI opened at $202.99 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a current ratio of 0.39. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $208.09 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $194.56. The firm has a market capitalization of $23.37 billion, a PE ratio of 21.48, a P/E/G ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 0.61. Darden Restaurants, Inc. has a 52-week low of $169.00 and a 52-week high of $228.27.

Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI) last released its earnings results on Thursday, March 19th. The restaurant operator reported $2.95 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.94 by $0.01. Darden Restaurants had a net margin of 8.66% and a return on equity of 53.54%. The company had revenue of $3.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.33 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.80 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Darden Restaurants, Inc. will post 9.52 EPS for the current year.

Darden Restaurants Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Investors of record on Friday, April 10th will be paid a dividend of $1.50 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 10th. This represents a $6.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.0%. Darden Restaurants’s payout ratio is 63.49%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Rajesh Vennam sold 6,774 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $214.12, for a total value of $1,450,448.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 9,040 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,935,644.80. This represents a 42.84% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider John W. Wilkerson sold 2,258 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, January 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $213.00, for a total value of $480,954.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 17,784 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,787,992. The trade was a 11.27% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 18,770 shares of company stock worth $3,948,970 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.49% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently issued reports on DRI. Guggenheim lowered their price objective on Darden Restaurants from $235.00 to $230.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on Darden Restaurants from $222.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Darden Restaurants in a report on Friday, March 13th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Darden Restaurants in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $230.00 price objective on shares of Darden Restaurants in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Eighteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $226.24.

Darden Restaurants Company Profile

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.