Darden Restaurants’ (DRI) Hold Rating Reiterated at TD Cowen

Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI)‘s stock had its “hold” rating reissued by analysts at TD Cowen in a report released on Thursday, September 24th, Benzinga reports. They currently have a $215.00 price target on the restaurant operator’s stock. TD Cowen’s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 10.98% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other brokerages also recently weighed in on DRI. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Darden Restaurants from $236.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, September 14th. BTIG Research upped their price target on shares of Darden Restaurants from $225.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, June 26th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price target on shares of Darden Restaurants from $230.00 to $236.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, June 26th. Guggenheim increased their price objective on shares of Darden Restaurants from $230.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, Evercore cut shares of Darden Restaurants from an “outperform” rating to an “in-line” rating and set a $230.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Eighteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $232.38.

Darden Restaurants Stock Performance

NYSE DRI opened at $193.72 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.79. The company has a market capitalization of $22.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.94, a P/E/G 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. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $212.12 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $204.60.

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Ricardo Cardenas sold 39,134 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,009,682.76. This trade represents a 31.24% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Laura B. Williamson sold 1,110 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $204.32, for a total transaction of $226,795.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 10,754 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,197,257.28. The trade was a 9.36% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 70,185 shares of company stock worth $14,636,984 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.67% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Darden Restaurants

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. QRG Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in Darden Restaurants by 881.2% in the 2nd quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 47,136 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $9,710,000 after acquiring an additional 42,332 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. lifted its position in shares of Darden Restaurants by 118.1% during the second quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 6,122 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $1,261,000 after purchasing an additional 3,315 shares in the last quarter. Tidal Investments LLC lifted its position in shares of Darden Restaurants by 34.9% during the second quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 26,408 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $5,440,000 after purchasing an additional 6,830 shares in the last quarter. National Pension Service lifted its position in shares of Darden Restaurants by 637.5% during the second quarter. National Pension Service now owns 249,346 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $51,368,000 after purchasing an additional 215,537 shares in the last quarter. Finally, WINTON GROUP Ltd bought a new position in shares of Darden Restaurants during the second quarter valued at about $1,355,000. Institutional investors 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.