Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI) Given New $236.00 Price Target at Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft

Key Points

• Deutsche Bank raised its price target on Darden Restaurants to $236 from $230 and kept a buy rating, implying about 12.15% upside from the prior close.
• The stock has drawn broad analyst support, with several firms recently lifting targets; overall, Darden now has a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $227.92.
• Darden’s latest quarter beat EPS expectations at $3.66 per share, but revenue slightly missed forecasts, and the company’s FY2027 EPS guidance of $11.10-$11.35 came in below consensus.

Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI - Get Free Report) had its price target hoisted by Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft from $230.00 to $236.00 in a report released on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a "buy" rating on the restaurant operator's stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft's target price indicates a potential upside of 12.15% from the company's previous close.

Other research analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Guggenheim upped their target price on shares of Darden Restaurants from $230.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on shares of Darden Restaurants from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday. Bank of America upped their price objective on Darden Restaurants from $272.00 to $276.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, June 5th. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Darden Restaurants from $238.00 to $245.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, June 15th. Finally, Stephens boosted their price objective on Darden Restaurants from $210.00 to $216.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday. Seventeen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $227.92.

Darden Restaurants Trading Down 1.1%

Shares of NYSE DRI traded down $2.32 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $210.44. The stock had a trading volume of 712,063 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,376,117. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $201.60 and its 200 day simple moving average is $200.89. The firm has a market cap of $24.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 0.60. Darden Restaurants has a fifty-two week low of $169.00 and a fifty-two week high of $222.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 0.39 and a quick ratio of 0.25.

Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, June 25th. The restaurant operator reported $3.66 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.63 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $3.72 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.73 billion. Darden Restaurants had a return on equity of 53.54% and a net margin of 8.66%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 13.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.98 earnings per share. Darden Restaurants has set its FY 2027 guidance at 11.100-11.350 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Darden Restaurants will post 10.62 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Lindsay L. Koren sold 300 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $194.32, for a total transaction of $58,296.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 1,617 shares of the company's stock, valued at $314,215.44. This represents a 15.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Douglas J. Milanes sold 3,620 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $202.16, for a total transaction of $731,819.20. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 274 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $55,391.84. This trade represents a 92.96% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.49% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Darden Restaurants

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Sapient Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Darden Restaurants during the 1st quarter worth $271,000. DV Trading LLC grew its position in Darden Restaurants by 140.6% in the first quarter. DV Trading LLC now owns 1,203 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $236,000 after acquiring an additional 703 shares during the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC raised its stake in Darden Restaurants by 5.9% during the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 1,643 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $322,000 after acquiring an additional 92 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its stake in Darden Restaurants by 0.9% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 59,432 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $11,651,000 after acquiring an additional 559 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Glenmede Trust Co. NA lifted its holdings in shares of Darden Restaurants by 1.5% in the first quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA now owns 9,923 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $1,945,000 after acquiring an additional 149 shares during the last quarter. 93.64% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

More Darden Restaurants News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Darden beat quarterly EPS estimates with adjusted earnings of $3.66 per share, helped by stronger performance at LongHorn Steakhouse and solid margin improvement. Darden Restaurants (DRI) Q4 Earnings Beat Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its quarterly dividend by 8% to $1.62 per share and authorized a new $1.5 billion share repurchase program, reinforcing management confidence and supporting shareholder returns. Darden Restaurants Reports Fiscal 2026 Fourth Quarter and Full Year Results
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts lifted price targets after the results, including BTIG to $235, suggesting some upside remains despite the mixed print. Darden Analysts Boost Their Forecasts After Q4 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Piper Sandler, Robert W. Baird, and Stephens also raised targets, but kept neutral/equal-weight style ratings, signaling improved valuation views rather than a strongly bullish shift. Analyst price target updates
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue missed estimates at $3.72 billion, and same-store sales growth at some brands, including Olive Garden, underwhelmed, which is weighing on sentiment. Darden Restaurants earnings beat estimates but Olive Garden growth weakens
• Negative Sentiment: FY2027 EPS guidance of $11.10 to $11.35 came in below consensus, making the outlook appear more conservative than the quarter itself. Darden Restaurants Reports Fiscal 2026 Fourth Quarter and Full Year Results

About Darden Restaurants

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.

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