Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI) Earns “Buy” Rating from BTIG Research

Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI)‘s stock had its “buy” rating reaffirmed by investment analysts at BTIG Research in a report released on Friday,Benzinga reports. They presently have a $225.00 price objective on the restaurant operator’s stock. BTIG Research’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 10.84% from the company’s current price.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Guggenheim dropped their price objective on Darden Restaurants from $235.00 to $230.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on Darden Restaurants from $208.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday. Bank of America increased their price target on Darden Restaurants from $261.00 to $262.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, March 16th. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of Darden Restaurants in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price objective 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. Eighteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $226.24.

Darden Restaurants Stock Down 0.7%

Darden Restaurants stock opened at $202.99 on Friday. 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. The company’s 50-day moving average is $208.09 and its 200-day moving average is $194.56. Darden Restaurants has a fifty-two week low of $169.00 and a fifty-two week high of $228.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 0.39 and a quick ratio of 0.26.

Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, March 19th. The restaurant operator reported $2.95 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.94 by $0.01. Darden Restaurants had a net margin of 8.66% and a return on equity of 53.54%. The business had revenue of $3.35 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.33 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.80 EPS. Darden Restaurants’s revenue was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Darden Restaurants will post 9.52 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Darden Restaurants

In related news, CFO Rajesh Vennam sold 6,774 shares of Darden Restaurants stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $214.12, for a total transaction 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 approximately $1,935,644.80. This trade represents a 42.84% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Todd Burrowes sold 7,103 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $207.12, for a total value of $1,471,173.36. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 44,252 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,165,474.24. This trade represents a 13.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 18,770 shares of company stock worth $3,948,970 in the last ninety days. 0.49% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Darden Restaurants

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of DRI. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Darden Restaurants during the second quarter worth about $26,000. Torren Management LLC bought a new stake in Darden Restaurants in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Quent Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Darden Restaurants during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. grew its position in shares of Darden Restaurants by 926.7% during the 4th quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 154 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 139 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Union Savings Bank bought a new position in shares of Darden Restaurants during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. 93.64% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.