Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI) Given Equal Weight Rating at Stephens

Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI)‘s stock had its “equal weight” rating reaffirmed by equities researchers at Stephens in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday, Benzinga reports. They presently have a $220.00 price target on the restaurant operator’s stock. Stephens’ price objective points to a potential upside of 13.13% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other equities analysts also recently commented on the company. Citigroup increased their price objective on Darden Restaurants from $245.00 to $248.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, September 11th. Piper Sandler increased their price objective on Darden Restaurants from $208.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, June 26th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Darden Restaurants from $236.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, September 14th. Robert W. Baird upgraded Darden Restaurants from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $220.00 to $250.00 in a report on Monday, August 24th. Finally, BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $235.00 price target on shares of Darden Restaurants in a report on Friday, September 25th. Eighteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $232.38.

Darden Restaurants Stock Up 0.6%

Shares of NYSE DRI traded up $1.22 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $194.47. The company had a trading volume of 430,223 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,340,626. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $212.12 and a two-hundred day moving average of $204.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a current ratio of 0.30. The company has a market capitalization of $22.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.03, a PEG ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 0.60. Darden Restaurants has a 12-month low of $169.00 and a 12-month high of $229.76.

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

Insider Activity at Darden Restaurants

In other Darden Restaurants news, insider Laura Williamson sold 1,110 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $204.32, for a total transaction of $226,795.20. Following the transaction, the insider 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Ricardo Cardenas sold 39,134 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $209.06, for a total value of $8,181,354.04. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 86,146 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,009,682.76. This trade represents a 31.24% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, 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 hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. QRG Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Darden Restaurants by 881.2% in the second quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 47,136 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $9,710,000 after acquiring an additional 42,332 shares during the last quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. grew its stake in shares of Darden Restaurants by 118.1% in the second quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 6,122 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $1,261,000 after acquiring an additional 3,315 shares during the last quarter. Tidal Investments LLC grew its stake in shares of Darden Restaurants by 34.9% in the second quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 26,408 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $5,440,000 after acquiring an additional 6,830 shares during the last quarter. National Pension Service grew its stake in shares of Darden Restaurants by 637.5% in the second quarter. National Pension Service now owns 249,346 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $51,368,000 after acquiring an additional 215,537 shares during the last quarter. Finally, WINTON GROUP Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Darden Restaurants in the second quarter worth $1,355,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.64% of the company’s stock.

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.