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

Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI)‘s stock had its “buy” rating reaffirmed by BTIG Research in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday, Benzinga reports. They currently have a $235.00 price objective on the restaurant operator’s stock. BTIG Research’s price target suggests a potential upside of 20.45% from the company’s previous close.

Several other analysts also recently commented on the company. Argus increased their price objective on Darden Restaurants from $240.00 to $245.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on Darden Restaurants from $230.00 to $236.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, June 26th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Darden Restaurants in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Seaport Research Partners initiated coverage on Darden Restaurants in a research report on Wednesday, September 16th. They set a “buy” rating and a $240.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Robert W. Baird upgraded Darden Restaurants from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and raised their price target for the company from $220.00 to $250.00 in a research report on Monday, August 24th. Eighteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $232.38.

Darden Restaurants Stock Performance

DRI traded up $1.85 on Friday, hitting $195.10. The company had a trading volume of 458,462 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,340,886. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $212.12 and its 200 day moving average price is $204.60. Darden Restaurants has a 1-year low of $169.00 and a 1-year high of $229.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 0.30 and a quick ratio of 0.20. The stock has a market cap of $22.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 0.60.

Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI) last released its earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The restaurant operator reported $2.05 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $2.05. Darden Restaurants had a return on equity of 58.64% and a net margin of 8.85%.The firm had revenue of $3.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.21 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.97 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. Darden Restaurants has set its FY 2027 guidance at 11.100-11.350 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Darden Restaurants will post 11.24 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CFO Rajesh Vennam sold 8,478 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $210.00, for a total value of $1,780,380.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 8,569 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,799,490. This represents a 49.73% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Susan M. Connelly sold 2,226 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $208.17, for a total transaction of $463,386.42. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 4,165 shares in the company, valued at approximately $867,028.05. This represents a 34.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 70,185 shares of company stock valued at $14,636,984. 0.67% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Darden Restaurants

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in DRI. Union Savings Bank purchased a new stake in Darden Restaurants during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc purchased a new stake in Darden Restaurants during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Darden Restaurants during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $34,000. HHM Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in Darden Restaurants by 44.8% during the 1st quarter. HHM Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 181 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 56 shares during the period. Finally, Keating Financial Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in Darden Restaurants during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $39,000. 93.64% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Darden Restaurants

Darden Restaurants, Inc is a full-service restaurant company that owns and operates a portfolio of well-known dining brands. Its restaurants serve a range of cuisines and occasions, from Italian and American casual dining to seafood, steak, and upscale experiences.

The company’s portfolio includes Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, Yard House, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Seasons 52, Bahama Breeze, Eddie V’s, and The Capital Grille. In 2024, Darden expanded its brand portfolio through the acquisition of Chuy’s, a full-service Mexican restaurant concept.

Founded by William B.