TrueMark Investments LLC Has $6.82 Million Stock Holdings in Darden Restaurants, Inc. $DRI

TrueMark Investments LLC increased its position in shares of Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE:DRI) by 56.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 35,800 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after acquiring an additional 12,926 shares during the period. Darden Restaurants comprises approximately 1.2% of TrueMark Investments LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 29th biggest holding. TrueMark Investments LLC’s holdings in Darden Restaurants were worth $6,815,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of DRI. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Darden Restaurants in the 2nd quarter worth about $26,000. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Darden Restaurants in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. True Wealth Design LLC increased its holdings in Darden Restaurants by 419.2% in the second quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 135 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. Quent Capital LLC acquired a new position in Darden Restaurants in the third quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp bought a new position in Darden Restaurants during the second quarter valued at approximately $44,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.64% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Darden Restaurants

In other Darden Restaurants news, insider Todd Burrowes sold 7,103 shares of the firm’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 sale, the insider directly owned 44,252 shares in the company, valued at $9,165,474.24. This trade represents a 13.83% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CFO Rajesh Vennam sold 6,774 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the chief financial officer owned 9,040 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,935,644.80. The trade was a 42.84% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 18,770 shares of company stock valued at $3,948,970 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.49% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently commented on DRI shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Darden Restaurants from $240.00 to $230.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 6th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on shares of Darden Restaurants from $210.00 to $200.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Monday, December 15th. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on Darden Restaurants from $205.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Citigroup reduced their price target on Darden Restaurants from $239.00 to $232.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Darden Restaurants from $238.00 to $236.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Twenty analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $224.78.

Key Darden Restaurants News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho upgraded DRI from Neutral to Outperform and raised its price target to $235 (from $195), citing Olive Garden strength and implying meaningful upside vs. the current price. Mizuho upgrades Darden Restaurants (DRI)
• Positive Sentiment: Melius Research moved its rating from Hold to Buy, adding to analyst bullishness that can support upward momentum in the stock. Melius Research upgrade (Finviz link)
• Positive Sentiment: Company fundamentals and shareholder returns remain supportive: FY2026 guidance was set at $10.50–$10.70 EPS and the firm announced a $1.50 quarterly dividend (annualized $6.00). Those items underpin earnings visibility and yield appeal for income-focused investors. MarketBeat Darden Restaurants coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Raymond James reiterated a Market Perform rating, signaling some analysts remain cautious and limiting consensus conviction despite upgrades. Raymond James Reiterates Market Perform for Darden
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation discussion: recent coverage (Yahoo Finance) highlights mixed share performance vs. fundamentals — investors are weighing the higher multiple against steady cash flow and brand strength. A Look At Darden Restaurants (DRI) Valuation
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Director John Wilkerson sold 2,258 shares at roughly $213, reducing his stake ~11%. While insider sales can be routine, they can pressure sentiment if they repeat. John Wilkerson insider sale
• Negative Sentiment: Another insider, Rajesh Vennam, sold 6,774 shares — additional insider exits add to short-term headwinds for sentiment. Rajesh Vennam Sells DRI Shares

Darden Restaurants Price Performance

NYSE DRI opened at $205.93 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $188.79 and a 200 day simple moving average of $194.37. Darden Restaurants, Inc. has a twelve month low of $169.00 and a twelve month high of $228.27. The stock has a market capitalization of $23.71 billion, a PE ratio of 21.59, a P/E/G ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 0.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a current ratio of 0.39.

Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 18th. The restaurant operator reported $2.08 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.10 by ($0.02). Darden Restaurants had a return on equity of 52.44% and a net margin of 8.92%.The business had revenue of $3.10 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.07 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.03 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 7.3% on a year-over-year basis. Darden Restaurants has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.500-10.700 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Darden Restaurants, Inc. will post 9.52 EPS for the current year.

Darden Restaurants Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, January 9th will be paid a dividend of $1.50 per share. This represents a $6.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 9th. Darden Restaurants’s dividend payout ratio is presently 62.89%.

Darden Restaurants 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.