Stephens Boosts Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI) Price Target to $210.00

Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI) had its price target hoisted by analysts at Stephens from $205.00 to $210.00 in a report released on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “equal weight” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Stephens’ target price would indicate a potential upside of 3.45% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other research analysts also recently issued reports on the company. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $230.00 price target on shares of Darden Restaurants in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $225.00 target price on shares of Darden Restaurants in a report on Friday. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of Darden Restaurants from $205.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Mizuho raised shares of Darden Restaurants from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their price target for the stock from $195.00 to $235.00 in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Truist Financial reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $207.00 price objective (down from $240.00) on shares of Darden Restaurants in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Eighteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Darden Restaurants presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $226.24.

Darden Restaurants Stock Performance

DRI opened at $202.99 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. Darden Restaurants has a 12-month low of $169.00 and a 12-month high of $228.27. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $208.09 and a two-hundred day 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 (NYSE:DRI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 19th. The restaurant operator reported $2.95 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.94 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $3.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.33 billion. Darden Restaurants had a net margin of 8.66% and a return on equity of 53.54%. The firm’s revenue was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.80 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that Darden Restaurants will post 9.52 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Darden Restaurants

In related news, SVP Susan M. Connelly sold 2,635 shares of Darden Restaurants stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $207.36, for a total value of $546,393.60. Following the sale, 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 legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Todd Burrowes sold 7,103 shares of the company’s 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 transaction, the insider owned 44,252 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,165,474.24. This represents a 13.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 18,770 shares of company stock worth $3,948,970 over the last 90 days. 0.49% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of DRI. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Darden Restaurants during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Darden Restaurants in the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Quent Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Darden Restaurants in the third quarter worth approximately $27,000. Torren Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Darden Restaurants in the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Finally, Union Savings Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Darden Restaurants during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. 93.64% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Darden Restaurants News Summary

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 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.