Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI) Given New $230.00 Price Target at Guggenheim

Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI) had its price target reduced by equities research analysts at Guggenheim from $235.00 to $230.00 in a research note issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “buy” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Guggenheim’s target price indicates a potential upside of 23.90% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other equities research analysts have also issued reports on DRI. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on Darden Restaurants from $238.00 to $236.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their target price on shares of Darden Restaurants from $239.00 to $220.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, September 19th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of Darden Restaurants from $225.00 to $200.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, September 19th. Raymond James Financial cut their price objective on shares of Darden Restaurants from $230.00 to $210.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 19th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Darden Restaurants from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $225.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Monday, October 20th. Nineteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $223.39.

Darden Restaurants Stock Performance

NYSE:DRI opened at $185.64 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.90, a PEG ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 0.66. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $179.94 and its 200 day simple moving average is $198.24. Darden Restaurants has a twelve month low of $159.67 and a twelve month high of $228.27.

Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, September 18th. The restaurant operator reported $1.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.01 by ($0.04). The company had revenue of $3.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.03 billion. Darden Restaurants had a net margin of 8.90% and a return on equity of 52.35%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.75 earnings per share. Darden Restaurants has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.500-10.700 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Darden Restaurants will post 9.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Darden Restaurants

In other news, SVP Matthew R. Broad sold 5,661 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 6th. The shares were 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,691,354.40. The trade was a 28.92% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 0.49% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Darden Restaurants

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of DRI. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Darden Restaurants during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Darden Restaurants in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. True Wealth Design LLC raised its position in shares of Darden Restaurants by 419.2% during the 2nd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 135 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. Quent Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Darden Restaurants during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, Ameriflex Group Inc. bought a new position in Darden Restaurants during the third quarter worth $35,000. 93.64% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Darden Restaurants Company 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.