Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC Acquires 1,345 Shares of Darden Restaurants, Inc. $DRI

Key Points

• Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC increased its stake in Darden Restaurants, Inc. by 25.2%, acquiring an additional 1,345 shares during the 2nd quarter, bringing its total holdings to 6,692 shares worth approximately $1.4 million.
• Insider trading activity includes the sale of 5,661 shares by SVP Matthew R. Broad, reflecting a 28.92% decrease in his position, as insiders sold a total of 7,341 shares valued at over $1.4 million in the last quarter.
• Darden Restaurants reported $1.97 EPS for the recent quarter, missing analysts' expectations, but its revenue increased by 10.4% year-over-year, reaching $3.04 billion.

Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC boosted its holdings in Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE:DRI - Free Report) by 25.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 6,692 shares of the restaurant operator's stock after acquiring an additional 1,345 shares during the quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC's holdings in Darden Restaurants were worth $1,395,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. ORG Partners LLC lifted its position in Darden Restaurants by 108.8% in the 1st quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 142 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 74 shares in the last quarter. Centennial Bank AR purchased a new stake in Darden Restaurants during the 1st quarter valued at $31,000. Alpine Bank Wealth Management purchased a new stake in Darden Restaurants during the 1st quarter valued at $34,000. SouthState Corp purchased a new stake in Darden Restaurants during the 1st quarter valued at $36,000. Finally, Rise Advisors LLC raised its stake in Darden Restaurants by 32.2% during the 1st quarter. Rise Advisors LLC now owns 201 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 49 shares during the last quarter. 93.64% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Darden Restaurants news, SVP Matthew R. Broad sold 5,661 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, October 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $193.40, for a total value of $1,094,837.40. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 13,916 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,691,354.40. This represents a 28.92% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Laura B. Williamson sold 523 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $204.65, for a total value of $107,031.95. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 5,423 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,109,816.95. The trade was a 8.80% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 7,341 shares of company stock valued at $1,438,707 in the last quarter. 0.49% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Darden Restaurants Price Performance

Shares of Darden Restaurants stock opened at $187.90 on Tuesday. Darden Restaurants, Inc. has a one year low of $157.89 and a one year high of $228.27. The stock's fifty day moving average is $199.34 and its 200 day moving average is $204.87. The stock has a market cap of $21.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.14, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 0.40.

Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, September 18th. The restaurant operator reported $1.97 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.01 by ($0.04). Darden Restaurants had a return on equity of 52.35% and a net margin of 8.90%.The company had revenue of $3.04 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.03 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.75 earnings per share. Darden Restaurants's revenue for the quarter was up 10.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Darden Restaurants has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.500-10.700 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Darden Restaurants, Inc. will post 9.52 earnings per share for the current year.

Darden Restaurants Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 10th will be paid a $1.50 dividend. This represents a $6.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 10th. Darden Restaurants's dividend payout ratio is presently 64.31%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on DRI shares. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Darden Restaurants in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Darden Restaurants from $253.00 to $254.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 16th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their target price on shares of Darden Restaurants from $239.00 to $220.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 19th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Darden Restaurants from $235.00 to $238.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, September 19th. Finally, Evercore ISI reduced their price objective on Darden Restaurants from $245.00 to $240.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 19th. Twenty analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Darden Restaurants has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $227.15.

Darden Restaurants Profile

Darden Restaurants, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, owns and operates full-service restaurants in the United States and Canada. It operates under Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, Yard House, The Capital Grille, Seasons 52, Bahama Breeze, Eddie V's Prime Seafood, and Capital Burger brand names.

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