Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI) Price Target Raised to $220.00

Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI) had its price target upped by equities research analysts at Robert W. Baird from $210.00 to $220.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “neutral” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Robert W. Baird’s target price suggests a potential upside of 3.44% from the stock’s current price.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $230.00 price objective on shares of Darden Restaurants in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Darden Restaurants from $238.00 to $245.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, June 15th. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Darden Restaurants from $227.00 to $232.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, March 20th. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $225.00 price objective on shares of Darden Restaurants in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Darden Restaurants in a research note on Monday. Seventeen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Darden Restaurants has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $228.33.

Darden Restaurants Price Performance

NYSE:DRI opened at $212.69 on Friday. Darden Restaurants has a 52-week low of $169.00 and a 52-week high of $222.56. The company has a market cap of $24.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.51, a P/E/G ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a current ratio of 0.39. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $201.60 and its 200 day simple moving average is $200.89.

Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, June 25th. The restaurant operator reported $3.66 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.63 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $3.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.73 billion. Darden Restaurants had a return on equity of 53.54% and a net margin of 8.66%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 13.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.98 earnings per share. Darden Restaurants has set its FY 2027 guidance at 11.100-11.350 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Darden Restaurants will post 10.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Darden Restaurants

In other Darden Restaurants news, SVP Lindsay L. Koren sold 300 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $194.32, for a total value of $58,296.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 1,617 shares in the company, valued at $314,215.44. The trade was a 15.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Douglas J. Milanes sold 3,620 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $202.16, for a total transaction of $731,819.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 274 shares in the company, valued at $55,391.84. The trade was a 92.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 0.49% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of DRI. Torren Management LLC acquired a new stake in Darden Restaurants during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. grew its position in shares of Darden Restaurants by 926.7% in the fourth quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 154 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 139 shares during the last quarter. Union Savings Bank acquired a new position in shares of Darden Restaurants in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. BOK Financial Private Wealth Inc. bought a new position in shares of Darden Restaurants during the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, DV Equities LLC bought a new position in shares of Darden Restaurants during the fourth quarter worth approximately $30,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.64% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Darden Restaurants

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

• Positive Sentiment: Darden raised its quarterly dividend to $1.62 per share, an 8% increase, signaling confidence in cash flow and shareholder returns. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: The board authorized a new $1.5 billion share repurchase program, which should help support earnings per share over time. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Results were driven by brand strength, especially LongHorn Steakhouse, and management highlighted comparable-sales momentum and record-year performance. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Darden’s revenue missed expectations by a small margin, and some commentary noted weaker-than-expected same-store sales at Olive Garden and fine-dining locations. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: FY2027 EPS guidance of $11.10 to $11.35 came in below the Street’s estimate, suggesting margin or cost pressure ahead. Article Title

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.