ORLANDO, Fla., Aug. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Darden Restaurants, Inc., (NYSE: DRI) plans to release its fiscal 2026 first quarter financial results before the market opens on Thursday, September 18, 2025, with a conference call to follow at 8:30 am ET. Rick Cardenas, CEO, and other senior management will discuss first quarter results and conduct a question and answer session. For those who cannot listen to the live broadcast, a replay will be available shortly after the call. What: Darden Restaurants, ...

Core Viewpoint - Several companies are significantly increasing their share buyback programs, collectively adding over $10 billion in repurchase capacity to the stock market, signaling a commitment to reward shareholders and potentially reduce outstanding shares [1]. Company Summaries Trump Media and Technology Group (DJT) - Announced a $400 million share buyback program, representing approximately 8.3% of its $4.8 billion market capitalization [2]. - The company raised $2.5 billion to create a large Bitcoin treasury, increasing its liquid assets to over $3 billion, despite generating under $4 million in revenues and having operating expenses exceeding $127 million [3]. Johnson Controls International (JCI) - Increased its share buyback authorization to $9 billion, totaling $10.1 billion in repurchase capacity, which is about 14.6% of its $69 billion market capitalization [6][7]. - Plans to return $5 billion in capital in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, potentially reducing its share count by around 7% and enhancing earnings per share [7]. Darden Restaurants (DRI) - Announced a $1 billion share buyback program, equating to just under 4% of its over $25 billion market capitalization, following a total return of approximately 17% in 2025 [9][10]. - Increased its quarterly dividend by 7.1%, with a solid indicated dividend yield of around 2.8%, one of the highest among U.S. restaurant stocks [10]. Broader Corporate Trend - The substantial buyback announcements from DJT, JCI, and DRI reflect a broader trend of companies returning capital to shareholders, whether to offset stock declines, reinforce confidence, or enhance earnings metrics [11]. - The end result of these buybacks is expected to be reduced share counts and potentially stronger shareholder returns, emphasizing the importance of execution speed and effectiveness in the coming quarters [12].

Market Trends & Geopolitical Impact - The market initially reacted negatively to the US attack on Iranian nuclear facilities, with oil prices surging, but then reversed as Iran's response appeared limited, leading to a drop in oil prices and a bullish market sentiment [1][3][10][27] - Iran's potential closure of the Straits of Hormuz is unlikely due to their own reliance on it for 170万 barrels per day of exports [1][4] - US ethane exports to China are being used as a bargaining chip in the rare earth minerals debate, causing uncertainty for US energy exporters [3][4][5] Investment Opportunities & Company Performance - Darden Restaurants presents a compelling investment opportunity due to strong performance, especially at Olive Garden and Longhorn Steakhouse, a $1 billion buyback program, and a 71% dividend increase [11][12][13][14] - Darden's blended same store sales were up 46%, exceeding Wall Street's expectation of 35% [13] - Longhorn Steakhouse surpassed $3 billion in annual revenue for the first time in fiscal year 2025 [18] - Arlo Technologies' subscription business is experiencing insane growth, with subscriber count breaking through 5 million users and aiming for 10 million by 2030 [40][41] - Arlo Technologies' gross margin expanded by 600 basis points year-over-year, reaching 83% [43] Individual Stock Analysis & Recommendations - Circle Internet Group: Sell 50% of your position tomorrow morning and let the rest run [3][33] - Palantir: Jim Kramer said at 50, it's going to 100, at 100, it's going to 200 [3] - Haiko: Take some off tomorrow just because you're going to be a good soldier, but I like the stock [3] - Arlo Technologies: Put on a small position here, but you got to wait for a buyback before you buy more [52]

Core Insights - Darden Restaurants Inc. reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter financial results, with adjusted earnings per share of $2.98, surpassing the analyst consensus estimate of $2.97, and quarterly sales of $3.27 billion, exceeding the consensus estimate of $3.26 billion [1][2] Financial Performance - The company experienced a consolidated same-restaurant sales increase of 4.6%, with Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse rising by 6.9% and 6.7%, respectively. However, Fine Dining saw a decline of 3.3%, while Other Business grew by 1.2% [2] - Darden expects fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS to be between $10.50 and $10.70, which is below the consensus estimate of $10.75. The company projects total sales growth of 7% to 8% for the year [3] Market Reaction - Following the earnings announcement, Darden shares fell by 5.1% to trade at $214.17 [4] Analyst Ratings and Price Targets - Analysts have made various adjustments to their price targets for Darden Restaurants: - Stephens & Co. raised the price target from $200 to $212 while maintaining an Equal-Weight rating - Baird raised the price target from $218 to $230 with a Neutral rating - Keybanc increased the price target from $230 to $245 with an Overweight rating - B of A Securities raised the price target from $252 to $253 while maintaining a Buy rating - TD Securities boosted the price target from $215 to $235 with a Hold rating - Barclays raised the price target from $235 to $255 with an Overweight rating - Citigroup increased the price target from $245 to $253 while maintaining a Buy rating [6]

Sharers of Darden restaurants gaining after quarterly results this morning. Kate Rogers here with those details and some of the other names to watch in casual dining. Kate, hey Mike, good morning.A beat on the top and bottom lines for Olive Garden parent driven by same store sales gains which were up 4.6% overall. Olive Garden up 6.9% leading the pack. Its same store sales guidance was in line but EPS was slightly below consensus for the full year.Now, last week, analysts gave Darden five price target incre ...

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].

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].

Group 1 - Darden Restaurants (NYSE: DRI) is expected to announce its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings on June 20, 2025, with analysts predicting earnings of $2.94 per share and revenue of $3.25 billion, reflecting a 14% increase in earnings and a 10% rise in sales year-over-year [2] - In the fiscal 2025 third quarter, Darden achieved total sales of $3.2 billion, a 6.2% increase, driven by acquisitions and new restaurant openings, including the positive impact from the purchase of Chuy's [3] - Same-restaurant sales improved by 0.7%, with LongHorn Steakhouse seeing a 2.6% increase, while Olive Garden had a modest growth of 0.6%, and the Fine Dining sector experienced a decline of 0.8% [3] Group 2 - Darden reaffirmed its annual revenue forecast of $12.1 billion and adjusted its earnings outlook to a range of $9.45 to $9.52 per share [3] - The company has a current market capitalization of $25 billion, with total revenue over the past twelve months at $12 billion, operating profit at $1.4 billion, and net income at $1.1 billion [3] Group 3 - Historically, DRI stock has risen 55% of the time following earnings releases, with a median one-day increase of 5.8% and a maximum observed rise of 15% [2][5] - Over the last five years, there have been 20 earnings data points for DRI, with 11 positive and 9 negative one-day returns, resulting in positive returns approximately 55% of the time, though this percentage drops to 42% when considering the last 3 years [5]

Core Viewpoint - Darden Restaurants (DRI) is expected to report quarterly earnings of $2.93 per share, a 10.6% increase year-over-year, with revenues projected at $3.26 billion, reflecting a 10.3% increase compared to the same period last year [1]. Earnings Estimates - The consensus EPS estimate has been revised 0.3% lower over the last 30 days, indicating a reevaluation of initial estimates by analysts [2]. - Revisions to earnings estimates are crucial indicators for predicting investor actions regarding the stock, with empirical research showing a strong correlation between earnings estimate trends and short-term stock price performance [3]. Sales Projections - Analysts predict 'Sales- Olive Garden' will reach $1.35 billion, a 5.6% increase from the prior-year quarter [5]. - 'Sales- Other Business' is expected to be $733.06 million, indicating a 24.3% increase year-over-year [5]. - 'Sales- Fine Dining' is projected at $356.37 million, reflecting a 9% increase from the previous year [5]. - 'Sales- LongHorn Steakhouse' is forecasted to reach $823.83 million, an 8% year-over-year increase [6]. - The 'Same-restaurant sales - LongHorn Steakhouse - YoY change' is expected to be 5.4%, up from 4% in the same quarter last year [6]. Company-Owned Restaurants - The estimate for 'Company-owned restaurants - Total' is 2,183, compared to 2,031 a year ago [6]. - 'Company-owned restaurants - Olive Garden' is projected to reach 933, up from 920 last year [7]. - 'Company-owned restaurants - LongHorn Steakhouse' is estimated at 592, compared to 575 in the same quarter last year [7]. - 'Company-owned restaurants - Bahama Breeze' is expected to remain at 43, unchanged from the previous year [8]. - 'Company-owned restaurants - Seasons 52' is projected to reach 45, up from 44 last year [8]. - 'Company-owned restaurants - Eddie V's' is estimated at 31, compared to 30 a year ago [9]. - 'Company-owned restaurants - Yard House' is expected to reach 90, up from 88 last year [9]. Stock Performance - Over the past month, Darden Restaurants shares have recorded a return of +2.8%, outperforming the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +1.7% change [10].

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