Equities Analysts Set Expectations for DRI Q3 Earnings

Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE:DRI - Free Report) - Stock analysts at Zacks Research raised their Q3 2025 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Darden Restaurants in a research note issued on Thursday, January 2nd. Zacks Research analyst M. Kaushik now expects that the restaurant operator will earn $2.82 per share for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $2.80. The consensus estimate for Darden Restaurants' current full-year earnings is $9.47 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Darden Restaurants' Q2 2026 earnings at $2.12 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $2.97 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $3.32 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $10.32 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $11.27 EPS.

A number of other equities analysts have also issued reports on DRI. BTIG Research upped their target price on shares of Darden Restaurants from $175.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, September 20th. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on Darden Restaurants from $180.00 to $194.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, December 20th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on Darden Restaurants from $190.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, December 20th. Piper Sandler upped their price target on Darden Restaurants from $159.00 to $177.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, September 20th. Finally, Citigroup lowered their price objective on Darden Restaurants from $209.00 to $206.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and sixteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $187.44.

Darden Restaurants Price Performance

NYSE:DRI traded down $4.03 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $183.69. 1,670,891 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,224,264. The company has a quick ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 0.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. The stock has a market cap of $21.58 billion, a PE ratio of 21.19, a PEG ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.31. Darden Restaurants has a 12 month low of $135.87 and a 12 month high of $189.18. The company has a fifty day moving average of $172.30 and a 200 day moving average of $160.19.

Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 19th. The restaurant operator reported $2.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $2.03. The firm had revenue of $2.89 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.87 billion. Darden Restaurants had a return on equity of 49.46% and a net margin of 9.11%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 6.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.84 EPS.

Darden Restaurants Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 10th will be given a dividend of $1.40 per share. This represents a $5.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.05%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 10th. Darden Restaurants's dividend payout ratio is 64.15%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Rajesh Vennam sold 7,228 shares of Darden Restaurants stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $181.71, for a total value of $1,313,399.88. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 10,262 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,864,708.02. This trade represents a 41.33 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.58% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Darden Restaurants

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in Darden Restaurants in the second quarter valued at $27,000. Kimelman & Baird LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Darden Restaurants in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC grew its stake in shares of Darden Restaurants by 1,690.9% in the third quarter. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC now owns 197 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 186 shares in the last quarter. Bangor Savings Bank increased its holdings in Darden Restaurants by 395.0% during the third quarter. Bangor Savings Bank now owns 297 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $49,000 after buying an additional 237 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Truvestments Capital LLC bought a new stake in Darden Restaurants during the third quarter worth $72,000. 93.64% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Darden Restaurants Company Profile

Darden Restaurants, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, owns and operates full-service restaurants in the United States and Canada. It operates under Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, Yard House, The Capital Grille, Seasons 52, Bahama Breeze, Eddie V's Prime Seafood, and Capital Burger brand names.