📈 Price History

Ratio Health

— Excellent

— Good

— Average

— Poor

By Category

📊 Peer Medians

About

Darden Restaurants, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, owns and operates full-service restaurants in the United States and Canada. The company operates under Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, Chuy’s, Yard House, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, The Capital Grille, Seasons 52, Eddie V’s Prime Seafood, Bahama Breeze, The Capital Burger, Darden and Darden Restaurants brand names. Darden Restaurants, Inc. was founded in 1938 and is based in Orlando, Florida.

Key Ratios Snapshot

📈 Growth Pattern

⚡ Latest Quarter —

See full financials →

📊 Quick Scorecard

Loading…

🔍 Concall Decoded

🎙 Management Tone Tracker Confident Specific → Stable 5 quarters analysed

Q4 2025

Confident Specific

Management repeatedly used phrases like 'strong quarter', 'exceeded our expectations', 'strong year', and 'disciplined execution'. They provided specific data points such as same-restaurant sales growth of 4.6%, adjusted EPS of $2.98, and segment profit margin improvements, indicating a confident and data-backed tone.

Q1 2026

Confident Specific

Management expressed strong confidence using specific metrics (comp sales +4.7%, EPS +12.6%) and phrases like 'exceeded our expectations' and 'great quarter', while also providing detailed breakdowns of segment performance and initiatives.

Q2 2026

Confident Specific

Management repeatedly stated the quarter exceeded sales expectations, provided specific numbers like 4.3% same-store sales growth and 300 bps industry outperformance, and gave detailed guidance updates. Language was direct and data-rich, e.g., 'strong quarter that exceeded our expectations', 'pricing 130 basis points below inflation'.

Q3 2026

Confident Specific

Management uses strong quantitative language: 'very strong quarter', '5.9% higher total sales', 'exceeded industry by 540 bps', 'proud of our performance', 'confident in our ability to build on momentum'. Specific metrics and segment details are provided.

Q4 2026 latest

Confident Specific

Management opened with 'strong finish to an excellent year' and 'significantly outperformed the industry,' then backed it with granular detail: brand-level comps (Olive Garden +2.4%, LongHorn +9.5%), pricing by brand (blended 3.8%, OG 2.8%, LongHorn ~5.3%), a $0.10 EPS development drag bridge, and a fully quantified FY27 guide (2.5%-3.5% comp, ~3% pricing, $875M capex). In Q&A they repeatedly gave precise figures without deflection, only turning guarded on the current quarter and a few proprietary numbers.

Guidance Reliability Pending · <3Q data

Investor Lens

The investment thesis is modestly stronger after this call. Q4 delivered a 4.6% comp with positive traffic while the industry benchmark was negative, all brands comped positive, and FY26 EPS landed above the initial guidance midpoint for the fifth consecutive year. Management was unusually transparent — brand-level pricing, traffic/check splits, a $0.10 EPS development drag, the fuel surcharge impact, and the lighter-portion mix bridge — which should improve forecastability. The key checkpoint is Q1 FY27, which carries the highest commodity inflation (~4%), peak fuel costs, a ~50-60 bps lighter-portion headwind, and the development step-up, so the guided 'low-to-mid single digit' EPS growth is the near-term risk. Also watch whether Olive Garden holds flat-to-positive segment margins while lapping the lighter-portion investment, whether LongHorn's 9.5% comp and retail-steak trade-in persist against a still-weak retail beef market, and whether the 2.5%-3.5% comp guide is conservative or optimistic in a still-negative-traffic industry. Overall, the guide appears deliberately beatable rather than aspirational, assuming consumer resilience holds.

AI-generated concall tone analysis · Updated 2026-08-15 · Not investment advice

🔒

Premium Feature

AI-generated 10-section company profile — business model, financials, strengths, risks & management quality

Upgrade to Premium

Already a member? Log in

📐

3-Statement Financial Model

Bear / Base / Bull projections · DCF fair value · Reverse-DCF

Open Model →

🎙 Management Tone Confident Specific → Stable 5 quarters Full tone analysis in Intelligence →

Good quarter Investor Presentation One-Pager? Q4 2026

Revenue

$3.72B

+13.7% YoY

Adjusted EBITDA

$678M

N/A

Restaurant-Level EBITDA Margin

22.1%

+0.5pp YoY

Adjusted Diluted EPS

$3.66

+22.8% YoY

What Went Right

All brands delivered positive same-restaurant sales in Q4; consolidated SRS was +4.6%, exceeding the industry benchmark by over 300bps.
LongHorn was the standout with Q4 SRS +9.5% and segment profit margin up 110bps to 21.2%; annual SRS was +7.2%.
Olive Garden delivered FY SRS +4.0%, above the high end of Darden's long-term framework, while holding Q4 segment margin at 24.3% (+50bps).

What to Watch

Consumer sentiment remains cautious and management noted softness from guests under 35.
Beef inflation stays elevated; Q1 FY27 commodity inflation is expected to be roughly 4% with mid-to-high single-digit beef inflation.
Growth costs from 75-80 gross openings plus 11 Bahama Breeze conversions create a ~$15M / $0.10 EPS drag in FY27.

Management Guidance

FY27 revenue: $13.60B-$13.75B
FY27 same-restaurant sales: +2.5% to +3.5%; 75-80 gross openings plus 11 Bahama Breeze conversions
FY27 adjusted EBITDA: $2.26B-$2.29B; adjusted diluted EPS: $11.10-$11.35
Quarterly dividend increased 8% to $1.52 per share ($6.48 annualized)

Investor Lens

The thesis is stronger after this call. Darden's portfolio diversification and scale were on display: all segments posted positive comps, restaurant-level EBITDA margin expanded, and FY26 SRS of +4.5% outpaced a restated industry benchmark of +1.4%. FY27 guidance of +2.5% to +3.5% SRS and EPS growth to $11.10-$11.35 shows continued confidence despite beef inflation and higher development costs. The main risks are macro-driven consumer softness and input-cost pressure, but disciplined pricing plus supply-chain advantages should keep the long-term shareholder-return framework intact.

From investor presentation · AI-generated analysis · Not investment advice

🔒

Premium Feature

Investor Presentation One-Pager — quarterly highlights, what went right/wrong & management guidance

Upgrade to Premium

Already a member? Log in

📈 STRONG Strong Q4: revenue +13.7%, SRS +4.6%, adjusted EPS $3.66.

Revenue

Q4 total sales rose 13.7% YoY to $3.72B, helped by the 53rd week, +4.6% same-restaurant sales, and 43 net new restaurants. All segments grew sales, led by LongHorn's +9.5% SRS; full-year sales surpassed $13B for the first time.

Profitability

Adjusted earnings from continuing operations were $422M, with adjusted diluted EPS of $3.66, up 22.8% YoY; the extra fiscal week contributed $0.25. Reported diluted EPS was $3.54.

Margins

Restaurant-level EBITDA margin improved 50bps to 22.1%, helped by productivity and sales leverage despite ~3% commodity and 3.2% labor inflation. Olive Garden segment margin rose 50bps to 24.3%, LongHorn rose 110bps to 21.2%, and Other Business rose 40bps to 17.9%.

Balance Sheet

Adjusted debt-to-EBITDAR ended at 2.1x, within the 2.0x-2.5x target. Darden returned $310M in Q4 via $172M dividends and $138M buybacks, and the Board approved a new $1.5B repurchase authorization.

Key Risks

Management flagged cautious consumers and softness in the under-35 cohort, plus elevated beef inflation that drives Q1 FY27 commodity inflation to ~4%. Fuel surcharges from the Gulf crisis added ~50-60bps at peak to COGS inflation, and third-party delivery economics remain an unresolved strategic issue.

Outlook

FY27 revenue is guided to $13.60B-$13.75B with SRS +2.5%-3.5%, EBITDA of $2.26B-$2.29B, and EPS of $11.10-$11.35. Q1 EPS growth is expected to be low- to mid-single digit due to the most elevated inflation period.

Generated by AI · Q4 2026 results · Not investment advice

🔒

Free Account Required

Create a free Finmagine account to access Finmagine™ Scorecard.

See how this company scores across 5 dimensions — Financial Health, Growth Prospects, Competitive Position, Management Quality, and Valuation — powered by 30+ computed ratios.

Create Free Account Log In

🔒

Premium Feature

Upgrade to Finmagine Premium to unlock Ask AI.

Get 25 expert AI analysis templates — Business KPIs, Comprehensive, Forensic Governance, Peer Comparison, Risk-Reward, Full Research Report, IPO Decoder, Red Flag Detector, and more — ready to paste into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or Perplexity.

Upgrade to Premium Create Free Account

🔒

Premium Feature

Upgrade to Finmagine Premium to unlock Peer Comparison.

Compare this company side-by-side against its sector peers with financial metrics, ratio benchmarking, and relative performance across all key dimensions.

Upgrade to Premium Create Free Account

✓ 📞 Earnings Call Transcripts (5 quarters) submit a missing quarter

🔍

🔎 See cross-company document search → ?

📞 Earnings Call Transcripts (5)

Q4 2026 Q4 2026 2026-06-25

Fourth quarter and fiscal year results exceeded expectations, with strong same-restaurant sales and traffic growth across all major brands. Fiscal 2027 guidance projects continued sales and earnings growth, robust new unit development, and increased dividends, while maintaining industry outperformance and financial discipline.

Q3 2026 Q3 2026 2026-03-19

Q3 sales rose 5.9% to $3.3B, with all major brands outperforming industry benchmarks. Adjusted EPS grew 5.4% to $2.95, and FY26 guidance was raised for sales, comps, and new units, with strong operational execution and high guest satisfaction supporting continued momentum.

Q2 2026 Q2 2026 2025-12-18

Q2 FY26 saw strong sales growth, outpacing the industry with all segments posting positive comps and robust guest satisfaction. Despite elevated beef costs, margins were managed through pricing discipline and productivity gains. Guidance was raised for sales and unit growth, with continued investment in menu innovation and digital initiatives.

Q1 2026 Q1 2026 2025-09-18

Same restaurant sales and earnings growth exceeded expectations, led by Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse. Fiscal 2026 guidance was raised for sales and unit growth, but margin pressure is expected to peak in Q2 due to commodity inflation, especially beef. Delivery and menu innovation continue to drive guest engagement.

Q4 2025 Q4 2025 2025-06-20

Q4 and full-year results exceeded expectations, with strong sales and margin growth led by Olive Garden and LongHorn. Fiscal 2026 guidance projects continued sales and EPS growth, increased dividends, and ongoing reinvestment, while strategic portfolio actions and international expansion support long-term value.

🔒

Premium Feature

Upgrade to Finmagine Premium to unlock Catalyst Timeline.

Every result, order win, insider trade, ECS update, earnings-call, and SEC announcement for this company — in one chronological lane.

Upgrade to Premium Create Free Account

🔒

Premium Feature

Upgrade to Finmagine Premium to unlock Full Report.

Read the complete Finmagine™ investment research report — comprehensive fundamental analysis, business model assessment, competitive positioning, and investment recommendation.

Upgrade to Premium Create Free Account

📊 Analysis Methodology

This comprehensive investment analysis was conducted using The Finmagine™ Stock Analysis & Ranking Methodology, a proprietary framework that systematically evaluates stocks across five critical dimensions: Financial Health, Growth Prospects, Competitive Positioning, Management Quality, and Valuation.

🎯

Discover Our Proven Investment Framework Learn how we analyze and rank stocks using advanced quantitative models, multi-dimensional scoring systems, and dynamic discriminatory ranking techniques that have guided successful investment decisions across market cycles.

📊 Explore The Finmagine™ Methodology

A comprehensive, bias-free framework for analyzing and ranking stocks by Financial Strength, Growth Potential, Competitive Edge, Management Quality, and Value.

⚠️ Important Disclaimers — Please read without fail.

Investment Risk:
Investing in securities, including US equities and ETFs, involves inherent risks including the potential loss of principal. All investments are subject to market fluctuations, economic conditions, regulatory changes, and other factors that may affect their value. Past performance is not indicative of future results. This analysis is provided for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice under any circumstances.

No Investment Recommendation:
This analysis does not constitute, nor should it be interpreted as, an offer, solicitation, or recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any securities or financial products. Investors are strongly advised to conduct their own independent research and due diligence and to consult with a licensed financial advisor or an SEC-registered investment adviser before making any investment decisions, taking into account their individual financial situation, risk tolerance, and investment objectives.

Not SEC-Registered:
Finmagine is not registered as an investment adviser with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or any state securities authority. Nothing on this platform constitutes investment advice as defined under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

Conflict of Interest Disclosure:
The author and/or analyst may currently hold or have previously held positions in the securities discussed. Any such positions are not intended to influence the objectivity or independence of the analysis. This research is produced independently and is not sponsored, endorsed, or commissioned by any company or institution.

Information Sources:
The analysis is based on publicly available information including SEC filings (10-K, 10-Q), annual reports, management commentary, and publicly available financial data. Information is believed to be accurate as of the date of publication but may be subject to change without notice. Readers are encouraged to independently verify all information before acting upon it.

Forward-Looking Statements:
This analysis may contain forward-looking statements, forecasts, or projections that are inherently subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied. Finmagine does not undertake any obligation to update such statements in the future.

Limitation of Liability:
The content is provided "as is" without any warranties, express or implied. Finmagine expressly disclaims any liability for errors, omissions, or any losses incurred as a result of reliance on the information provided. Readers assume full responsibility for their investment decisions.