Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI) Stock

Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI) had its price target upped by analysts at Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft from $222.00 to $230.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “buy” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 13.30% from the company’s current price.

A number of other analysts have also issued reports on DRI. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Darden Restaurants from $234.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on shares of Darden Restaurants from $208.00 to $215.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday. Stephens upped their price objective on shares of Darden Restaurants from $205.00 to $210.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday. Mizuho upgraded shares of Darden Restaurants from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $195.00 to $235.00 in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group decreased their target price on shares of Darden Restaurants from $210.00 to $200.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Eighteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Darden Restaurants presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $226.24.

Darden Restaurants Stock Performance

Shares of DRI stock opened at $202.99 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $23.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.48, a P/E/G 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. The company has a current ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $208.09 and its 200-day simple moving average is $194.56.

Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 19th. The restaurant operator reported $2.95 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.94 by $0.01. Darden Restaurants had a return on equity of 53.54% and a net margin of 8.66%.The firm had revenue of $3.35 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.33 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.80 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Darden Restaurants will post 9.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Darden Restaurants

In other Darden Restaurants news, CFO Rajesh Vennam sold 6,774 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 9,040 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,935,644.80. The trade was a 42.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Susan M. Connelly sold 2,635 shares of the 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 owned 4,098 shares in the company, valued at approximately $849,761.28. This trade represents a 39.14% decrease in their position. 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 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.49% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Darden Restaurants

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of DRI. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Darden Restaurants during the second quarter worth $26,000. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in Darden Restaurants during the second quarter valued at about $29,000. Quent Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Darden Restaurants in the third quarter worth about $27,000. Torren Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Darden Restaurants in the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Finally, Union Savings Bank bought a new stake in shares of Darden Restaurants during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.64% of the company’s stock.

Darden Restaurants News Roundup

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.