Core Insights - Darden Restaurants Inc. (NYSE:DRI) experienced a significant decline of 7.69% on Thursday, closing at $192.74, following a miss on analyst earnings estimates for Q1 of fiscal year 2026 [1][2] - The company reported earnings per share of $1.97, falling short of the expected $2.00 [1][2] Financial Performance - Net income for Darden Restaurants increased by 24% to $257.8 million, up from $207.2 million in the same period last year [2] - Sales rose by 10.4% to $3.04 billion, compared to $2.76 billion year-on-year, driven by a same-restaurant sales increase of 4.7% and contributions from the acquisition of 103 Chuy's Tex Mex restaurants and 22 net new restaurants [2] Management Commentary - The President and CEO of Darden Restaurants, Rick Cardenas, stated that the company had a strong start to the fiscal year, with same-restaurant sales and earnings growth exceeding expectations [3] - Cardenas emphasized that the strength of the results reflects the effectiveness of the company's strategy, which focuses on operational excellence and leveraging competitive advantages for long-term success [4]

Core Insights - Darden Restaurants, Inc. reported strong financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended May 25, 2025, with significant growth in sales and earnings, driven by same-restaurant sales increases and acquisitions [1][3][6]. Financial Performance - Fourth Quarter 2025 consolidated sales increased by 10.6% to $3.3 billion, with same-restaurant sales up by 4.6% [2][6]. - Fiscal 2025 total sales rose by 6.0% to $12.1 billion, with same-restaurant sales growth of 2.0% [3][6]. - Reported diluted net earnings per share from continuing operations for Q4 were $2.58, while adjusted diluted net earnings per share were $2.98, reflecting a 12.5% increase [6][19]. - For the fiscal year, reported diluted net earnings per share were $8.88, with adjusted earnings at $9.55, a 7.5% increase [6][19]. Segment Performance - Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse showed strong performance with same-restaurant sales growth of 6.9% and 6.7%, respectively, while Fine Dining experienced a decline of 3.3% [2][3]. - Total segment profit for Olive Garden was $328.4 million in Q4, up from $291.4 million in the previous year [5]. Shareholder Returns - The Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.50 per share, a 7.1% increase from the previous quarter [8]. - The company repurchased approximately 0.2 million shares for $51 million during the quarter and authorized a new share repurchase program of up to $1 billion [9]. Future Outlook - For fiscal 2026, the company anticipates total sales growth of 7% to 8%, including approximately 2% growth related to an additional 53rd week [16]. - Same-restaurant sales growth is projected to be between 2% to 3.5%, with plans to open 60 to 65 new restaurants [16].