Darden Restaurants (DRI) to Announce Earnings on Thursday

Key Points

• Darden Restaurants is scheduled to report fiscal Q1 2027 results before the market opens on September 24. Analysts expect earnings of $2.05 per share and revenue of $3.21 billion, while management’s full-year EPS guidance is $11.10–$11.35.
• The company’s previous quarter exceeded EPS estimates, with earnings of $3.66 per share and revenue growth of 13.7% year over year. Analysts generally remain positive, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $232.
• Darden raised its quarterly dividend to $1.62, equivalent to $6.48 annually and a 3.1% yield. However, insiders sold approximately 70,185 shares worth $14.6 million over the past 90 days.

Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI - Get Free Report) is expected to issue its Q1 2027 results before the market opens on Thursday, September 24th. Analysts expect the company to post earnings of $2.05 per share and revenue of $3.2069 billion for the quarter. Darden Restaurants has set its FY 2027 guidance at 11.100-11.350 EPS. Individuals may review the information on the company's upcoming Q1 2027 earning summary page for the latest details on the call scheduled for Thursday, September 24, 2026 at 8:30 AM ET.

Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, June 25th. The restaurant operator reported $3.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.63 by $0.03. Darden Restaurants had a net margin of 9.13% and a return on equity of 57.44%. The business had revenue of $3.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.73 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.98 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 13.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect Darden Restaurants to post $11 EPS for the current fiscal year and $12 EPS for the next fiscal year.

Darden Restaurants Trading Down 0.3%

NYSE:DRI opened at $208.57 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $23.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.09, a PEG ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a current ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. Darden Restaurants has a 12 month low of $169.00 and a 12 month high of $229.76. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $210.70 and a 200-day simple moving average of $204.65.

Darden Restaurants Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, July 10th were paid a $1.62 dividend. This is a positive change from Darden Restaurants's previous quarterly dividend of $1.50. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 10th. This represents a $6.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.1%. Darden Restaurants's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 62.43%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have commented on DRI shares. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Darden Restaurants from $236.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday. Robert W. Baird raised Darden Restaurants from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and increased their price objective for the company from $220.00 to $250.00 in a report on Monday, August 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price objective on Darden Restaurants from $230.00 to $236.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Piper Sandler lifted their target price on Darden Restaurants from $208.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, June 26th. Finally, Stephens upped their target price on Darden Restaurants from $216.00 to $220.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, September 11th. Eighteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $232.00.

Insider Activity at Darden Restaurants

In other Darden Restaurants news, CFO Rajesh Vennam sold 8,478 shares of Darden Restaurants stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $210.00, for a total transaction of $1,780,380.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 8,569 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,799,490. This trade represents a 49.73% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Laura B. Williamson sold 1,110 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $204.32, for a total value of $226,795.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 10,754 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,197,257.28. The trade was a 9.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 70,185 shares of company stock valued at $14,636,984 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.67% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Darden Restaurants

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

• Positive Sentiment: Oppenheimer raised its price target on Darden from $235 to $245 and maintained an “outperform” rating, implying approximately 17.5% upside from the referenced price. The firm expects Olive Garden trends to improve and Darden to reaffirm its fiscal 2027 guidance. Darden's Earnings Trajectory Seen Improving as Olive Garden Trends Accelerate, Oppenheimer Says
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley expects Darden to exceed Wall Street’s first-quarter estimates despite a continuing drag from Olive Garden, while also forecasting that the company will reiterate its fiscal 2027 outlook. Darden to Beat First Quarter Street Estimates Despite Olive Garden Drag, Morgan Stanley Says
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley analyst coverage also points to upside potential for DRI, adding to the constructive analyst outlook ahead of earnings. Darden Restaurants Stock Price Expected to Rise, Morgan Stanley Analyst Says
• Neutral Sentiment: Options traders are pricing in roughly an 8% potential move around the September 24 earnings release, signaling elevated event risk rather than a clear directional prediction. Darden Restaurants Set to Serve Up an 8% Move After Q1 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Gordon Haskett lifted its Darden price target from $225 to $230 but kept a “hold” rating, reflecting modest valuation upside alongside some caution. Gordon Haskett Adjusts Darden Restaurants Price Target

Darden Restaurants Company Profile

Darden Restaurants, Inc NYSE: DRI is a full-service restaurant company headquartered in Orlando, Florida. It operates and franchises a portfolio of dining brands serving a range of cuisines, price points and occasions, with restaurants primarily located in the United States and select international markets.

Its restaurant portfolio includes Olive Garden, an Italian-American dining chain; LongHorn Steakhouse; Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen; Yard House; The Capital Grille; Seasons 52; Bahama Breeze; Eddie V's; Ruth's Chris Steak House; and Chuy's.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.