Equities Analysts Offer Predictions for DRI FY2027 Earnings

Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE:DRI) – Zacks Research dropped their FY2027 EPS estimates for Darden Restaurants in a report released on Wednesday, October 7th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the restaurant operator will post earnings of $11.21 per share for the year, down from their previous forecast of $11.24. The consensus estimate for Darden Restaurants’ current full-year earnings is $11.24 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Darden Restaurants’ Q4 2027 earnings at $3.69 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $2.59 EPS, Q3 2028 earnings at $3.68 EPS, Q1 2029 earnings at $2.53 EPS and FY2029 earnings at $13.15 EPS.

Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI) last announced its quarterly 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. The business had revenue of $3.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.21 billion. Darden Restaurants had a net margin of 8.85% and a return on equity of 58.64%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.97 EPS. Darden Restaurants has set its FY 2027 guidance at 11.100-11.350 EPS.

DRI has been the subject of several other research reports. Evercore downgraded Darden Restaurants from an “outperform” rating to an “in-line” rating and set a $230.00 price target for the company. in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Darden Restaurants from $236.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, September 14th. Citigroup cut their price objective on shares of Darden Restaurants from $248.00 to $247.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 25th. Piper Sandler raised their price target on shares of Darden Restaurants from $208.00 to $212.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, June 26th. Finally, KeyCorp reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Darden Restaurants in a research report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Seventeen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $232.48.

Darden Restaurants Stock Performance

Shares of Darden Restaurants stock opened at $201.08 on Thursday. Darden Restaurants has a 52 week low of $169.00 and a 52 week high of $229.76. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.79. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $211.89 and a 200-day moving average price of $204.49. The company has a market cap of $22.75 billion, a PE ratio of 19.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.63.

Darden Restaurants Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 2nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 9th will be paid a $1.62 dividend. This represents a $6.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 9th. Darden Restaurants’s dividend payout ratio is 63.34%.

Insider Transactions at Darden Restaurants

In other news, insider John Wilkerson sold 8,864 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $208.33, for a total transaction of $1,846,637.12. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 18,794 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,915,354.02. This trade represents a 32.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Laura Williamson sold 1,110 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $204.32, for a total transaction of $226,795.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 10,754 shares in the company, valued at $2,197,257.28. This trade represents a 9.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 60,255 shares of company stock worth $12,589,319. Company insiders own 0.67% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Darden Restaurants

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Darden Restaurants in the second quarter worth about $2,015,109,000. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new stake in shares of Darden Restaurants during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $651,813,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new position in Darden Restaurants in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $204,099,000. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new position in Darden Restaurants in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $118,824,000. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG bought a new position in Darden Restaurants in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $103,322,000. Institutional investors own 93.64% of the company’s stock.

Darden Restaurants Company Profile

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.