Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE: DRI) Quarterly Earnings Preview

Core Viewpoint - Darden Restaurants, Inc. is expected to report quarterly earnings on December 18, 2025, with analysts predicting earnings per share (EPS) of $2.10 and revenue of approximately $3.07 billion [1]. Group 1: Performance Expectations - Darden's performance is anticipated to be driven by strong revenue growth from its Olive Garden and LongHorn brands, despite facing cost pressures from increased beef and labor expenses [2]. - The market is closely watching to see if Darden's actual results will surpass expectations, which could positively influence the stock price [4]. Group 2: Recent Financial Performance - In the previous quarter, Darden's earnings fell short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.5%, although they grew by 12.6% compared to the previous year [3]. - Revenues slightly exceeded expectations by 0.2%, marking a 10.4% year-over-year increase [3]. - Over the last four quarters, Darden has beaten the earnings estimate once and missed it three times, with an average surprise of negative 0.5% [3]. Group 3: Financial Metrics - Darden's financial metrics include a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of approximately 19.68 and a price-to-sales ratio of about 1.76, reflecting the market's valuation of its earnings and revenue [5]. - The company's debt-to-equity ratio is approximately 2.77, indicating its leverage level [5]. - The current ratio of around 0.40 suggests its ability to cover short-term liabilities with short-term assets [5].