TD Cowen Reiterates Hold Rating for Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI)

Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI)‘s stock had its “hold” rating reissued by investment analysts at TD Cowen in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday, Benzinga reports. They presently have a $215.00 target price on the restaurant operator’s stock. TD Cowen’s price objective indicates a potential upside of 0.72% from the company’s current price.

A number of other research analysts also recently issued reports on the company. KeyCorp reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Darden Restaurants in a research note on Wednesday. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Darden Restaurants in a report on Friday, September 11th. Argus raised their target price on shares of Darden Restaurants from $240.00 to $245.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Seaport Research Partners started coverage on shares of Darden Restaurants in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. They set a “buy” rating and a $240.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Darden Restaurants from $236.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, September 14th. Eighteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Darden Restaurants has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $232.09.

Darden Restaurants Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE DRI opened at $213.46 on Thursday. Darden Restaurants has a 12-month low of $169.00 and a 12-month high of $229.76. The firm has a market capitalization of $24.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.01 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. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $211.90 and a 200 day moving average of $204.73.

Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The restaurant operator reported $2.05 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $2.05. Darden Restaurants had a net margin of 9.13% and a return on equity of 57.44%. Darden Restaurants has set its FY 2027 guidance at 11.100-11.350 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Darden Restaurants will post 11.26 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider John W. Wilkerson sold 8,864 shares of Darden Restaurants stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $208.33, for a total value of $1,846,637.12. Following the transaction, the insider owned 18,794 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,915,354.02. The trade was a 32.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Rajesh Vennam sold 8,478 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 transaction, the chief financial officer owned 8,569 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,799,490. This trade represents a 49.73% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 70,185 shares of company stock worth $14,636,984. 0.67% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Union Savings Bank purchased a new stake in Darden Restaurants in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc purchased a new stake in shares of Darden Restaurants during the second quarter worth about $28,000. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Darden Restaurants during the second quarter valued at about $34,000. HHM Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Darden Restaurants by 44.8% during the first quarter. HHM Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 181 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Keating Financial Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Darden Restaurants in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $39,000. 93.64% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Darden Restaurants News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Darden reported fiscal 2027 first-quarter results, declared its quarterly dividend and reaffirmed its full-year outlook. The combination of ongoing profitability and shareholder returns provides reassurance ahead of the company’s broader fiscal-year performance. Darden Restaurants Reports Fiscal 2027 First Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America raised its estimate for LongHorn’s first-quarter same-store sales growth to 6.5% from 4.2%, citing sustained market-share gains and stronger category trends. This suggests LongHorn remains a key growth engine for Darden. Darden sales momentum strengthens despite casual-dining slowdown
• Neutral Sentiment: Darden updated fiscal 2027 EPS guidance to $11.10–$11.35, compared with the $11.28 consensus estimate. The range broadly brackets expectations, but its $11.225 midpoint is slightly below consensus, limiting the upside surprise.
• Neutral Sentiment: The stock had already been trading above both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, indicating relatively strong momentum but also leaving investors focused on whether the earnings report and outlook justify its valuation.
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts lowered their Olive Garden expectations amid a broader casual-dining slowdown. Since Olive Garden is a major Darden brand, weaker performance there could offset LongHorn’s market-share gains. Darden sales momentum strengthens despite casual-dining slowdown

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.