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Darden Restaurants Posts Q1 Sales Beat, Analysts Cut Price Target On Profitability Concerns
Benzinga· 2025-09-19 15:34
Core Viewpoint - Darden Restaurants Inc experienced a significant decline in stock price following the release of disappointing first-quarter results, despite some positive performance indicators from its Olive Garden brand [1][2]. Group 1: Financial Performance - Darden Restaurants reported mixed first-quarter results, with same-store sales growth of 4.7%, surpassing the consensus estimate of 4.4% [3]. - Traffic at Olive Garden and LongHorn increased by 3.6% and 3.2%, respectively, both exceeding the industry traffic growth of 2.6% [4]. Group 2: Analyst Insights - TD Cowen noted that the stock decline was influenced by high expectations for Olive Garden and recent share price appreciation, despite Olive Garden outperforming expectations for the second consecutive quarter, with the outperformance gap narrowing to 90 basis points [2]. - BTIG highlighted that Darden's strategy of under-pricing competitors is attracting consumers but may negatively impact profitability in the short term [4]. Group 3: Stock Ratings and Price Targets - TD Cowen analyst Andrew Charles maintained a Hold rating and reduced the price target from $235 to $200 [5]. - BTIG analyst Peter Saleh reiterated a Buy rating while lowering the price target from $235 to $225 [5].
Pre-market Futures Up After 1st Rate Cut of 2025
ZACKS· 2025-09-18 15:26
Group 1: Market Overview - Pre-market futures are up following a 25 basis points interest rate cut by the Fed, with the Dow up +230 points, S&P 500 up +51, Nasdaq up +287, and Russell 2000 up +30 points [1] - Bond yields have slightly increased, with the 10-year yield at +4.08% and the 2-year yield at +3.55% [1] Group 2: Jobless Claims - Initial Jobless Claims spiked to +264K due to a reporting disruption in Texas, marking the highest week of new claims since October 2021, but fell back to +231K for the last week [2] - Continuing Claims have decreased to 1.920 million, the lowest since May, remaining below 1.94 million for two consecutive weeks [3] Group 3: Manufacturing Index - The Philly Fed Index reported its highest monthly tally since January at +23.2, indicating five up-months and four down-months in 2025, contrasting with the negative Empire State Index of -8.7 for the same month [5] Group 4: Earnings Reports - Darden Restaurants (DRI) reported fiscal Q1 earnings of $1.97 per share, missing estimates by 3 cents, but revenues of $3.04 billion exceeded expectations, up from $2.76 billion a year ago [6] - FedEx (FDX) is expected to report earnings growth of +1.4% with a revenue increase of +0.9%, while Lennar Homes (LEN) faces tough comparisons with expected earnings growth of -45% and revenue decline of -4% [7]
Four ners Property Trust(FCPT) - 2025 Q2 - Earnings Call Transcript
2025-07-30 17:00
Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported AFFO per share of $0.44, which is up 2.8% from Q2 last year [20] - Rental income for Q2 was $64.5 million, representing growth of over 11% compared to the same quarter last year [20] - The net debt to adjusted EBITDAre was 4.5 times, which is below the stated guidance of 5.5 to 6 times [18] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - In Q2, the company acquired 24 properties for $84 million at a blended cap rate of 6.7% [12] - The automotive sector accounted for 68% of total acquisition volume, indicating a strong focus on this area [12] - The company has diversified its portfolio, with 34% of rent now coming from sectors outside casual dining [8] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company noted that same-store sales for Olive Garden and LongHorn grew nearly 7% for the quarter ended May 2025 [8] - Chili's reported a same-store sales growth of 32% for the quarter ended March 2025, indicating strong performance in the casual dining sector [7] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to maintain a defensive portfolio focused on central retail and services, which are seen as tariff resistant [9] - The strategy includes modulating acquisitions based on the cost of capital, allowing the company to protect spreads without compromising portfolio quality [6] - The company is committed to maintaining high-quality standards in acquisitions and has a strong competitive advantage in its ability to fluctuate acquisition volumes [6][7] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the portfolio's resilience, highlighting a strong track record with low bad debt expense and effective releasing results [65] - The company anticipates a pullback in consumer spending due to potential recession or high inflation but believes it is well-positioned with low rents [9] - Management indicated that the current market conditions allow for continued execution of the company's strategy, with significant available capital for acquisitions [65] Other Important Information - The company has raised nearly $505 million in equity over the last twelve months, providing significant capacity for acquisitions [17] - The portfolio occupancy remains strong at 99.4%, with 99.8% of base rent collected for Q2 [22] Q&A Session Summary Question: Inquiry about acquisition team capacity - Management stated that the company is appropriately staffed and has the capacity to do more acquisitions if favorable pricing is available [25][27] Question: Impact of cap rate changes on acquisition opportunities - Management indicated that a 25 basis point decrease in cap rates could significantly increase acquisition opportunities, potentially by $100 million to $200 million [29][30] Question: Darden exposure and acquisition strategy - Management confirmed that while they have diversified Darden exposure, they will not hesitate to acquire Darden-related assets if the pricing is favorable [31][32] Question: Deal flow and competitive landscape - Management noted that deal flow has been consistent, but pricing remains a key factor in determining acquisition activity [48][49] Question: Future of veterinary retail property acquisitions - Management expressed interest in the veterinary retail sector, indicating it is a space they are comfortable exploring further [61]
Q4 Feast Ahead? Analysts Bet On Olive Garden To Boost Darden
Benzinga· 2025-06-18 18:50
Core Viewpoint - Darden Restaurants Inc. is expected to report strong fourth-quarter results, with analysts predicting a beat and positive guidance for fiscal year 2026, although some of this may already be reflected in the stock's performance [1][4]. Group 1: Financial Performance Expectations - Analysts from Truist Securities predict Olive Garden's same-store sales (SSS) will rise by 6.5% in the quarter, surpassing the 4.5% consensus and likely exceeding investor expectations [2]. - The fourth-quarter same-store sales estimate has been raised to +4.5% and EPS forecast to $3.02, both above the consensus estimates of +3.6% and $2.96 [3]. - For fiscal year 2026, the blended SSS forecast is increased to +3.8% and EPS to $11.05, up from +3.5% and $10.92 respectively [3]. Group 2: Strategic Focus and Market Position - Darden is likely to reaffirm its long-term goal of a 10%–15% total shareholder return, with a greater emphasis on new store openings rather than margin expansion [2]. - Olive Garden, which accounts for approximately 43% of Darden's sales, is seen as a key driver for the company's performance, benefiting from delivery growth and enhanced marketing efforts [5]. - Analysts maintain a bullish outlook on Darden, with expectations of continued earnings upside into fiscal year 2026 despite the stock's elevated price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple of 21x [4][5]. Group 3: Analyst Ratings and Price Forecasts - Truist Securities analyst Jake Bartlett has reiterated a Buy rating on Darden, raising the price forecast from $230 to $252 [8]. - Oppenheimer analyst Brian Bittner has also reiterated an Outperform rating, adjusting the price forecast from $230 to $250 [8].