Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI) Price Target Raised to $232.00 at Barclays

20 Mar 2026, 14:26 by Mitch Edgeman · The Markets Daily

Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI – Get Free Report) had its price objective increased by investment analysts at Barclays from $227.00 to $232.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “overweight” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Barclays‘s target price would indicate a potential upside of 13.75% from the company’s current price.

Other research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Guggenheim cut their price target on Darden Restaurants from $235.00 to $230.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Stephens lifted their price objective on Darden Restaurants from $205.00 to $210.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday. Weiss Ratings upgraded Darden Restaurants from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Bank of America increased their target price on Darden Restaurants from $261.00 to $262.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Darden Restaurants in a research note on Friday, March 13th. Twenty research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Darden Restaurants currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $225.30.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on DRI

Darden Restaurants Stock Performance

NYSE DRI opened at $203.96 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $208.08 and a 200 day moving average price of $194.68. The company has a market capitalization of $23.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.38, a PEG ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 0.61. Darden Restaurants has a 1-year low of $169.00 and a 1-year high of $228.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 0.39 and a quick ratio of 0.26.

Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 19th. The restaurant operator reported $2.95 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.94 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $3.35 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.33 billion. Darden Restaurants had a net margin of 8.92% and a return on equity of 52.44%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.80 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that Darden Restaurants will post 9.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Darden Restaurants

In related news, insider John W. Wilkerson sold 2,258 shares of Darden Restaurants stock in a transaction on Friday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $213.00, for a total transaction of $480,954.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 17,784 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,787,992. The trade was a 11.27% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Rajesh Vennam sold 6,774 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $214.12, for a total value of $1,450,448.88. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 9,040 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,935,644.80. This represents a 42.84% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders sold 18,770 shares of company stock valued at $3,948,970. 0.49% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Darden Restaurants

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in shares of Darden Restaurants by 81.0% during the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 8,077,567 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $1,486,434,000 after acquiring an additional 3,613,781 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in Darden Restaurants by 78.4% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 2,666,919 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $507,675,000 after purchasing an additional 1,171,890 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Darden Restaurants in the fourth quarter valued at about $144,483,000. Marshall Wace LLP grew its stake in Darden Restaurants by 820.4% during the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 706,416 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $153,977,000 after purchasing an additional 629,669 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Alyeska Investment Group L.P. acquired a new stake in Darden Restaurants during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $113,301,000. 93.64% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Darden Restaurants News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Darden Restaurants this week:

Positive Sentiment: Q3 results and outlook lift: Darden reported FQ3 results with EPS roughly in line with expectations, revenue up ~5.9% YoY, and management raised its full‑year sales and earnings outlook—citing resilient comps and LongHorn strength. This is a primary driver for investor optimism. PR Newswire: Q3 Results & Outlook
Positive Sentiment: Analyst bullishness: Multiple firms raised targets and/or reiterated positive ratings after the print — KeyCorp to $226 (overweight), BTIG reaffirmed buy at $225, Robert W. Baird lifted to $215, and Stephens adjusted to $210 — supporting near‑term upside. Benzinga: Analysts Increase Forecasts
Positive Sentiment: Capital returns: Darden declared a $1.50 quarterly dividend (yield ~2.9%) and continues share‑repurchase activity — supporting shareholder return narrative and attracting dividend/cash‑flow investors. PR Newswire: Dividend & Capital Return
Positive Sentiment: MarketBeat / institutional view: Commentary highlights durable cash flow, aggressive buybacks, and heavy institutional accumulation — factors that provide support and an analyst consensus tilted toward further upside. MarketBeat: Darden Has the Growth and Cash Flow to Hit New Highs
Neutral Sentiment: Detailed disclosures and materials: Earnings call transcript and slide deck are available for deeper diligence (useful for investors reviewing guidance, comps, and unit economics). Seeking Alpha: Q3 Earnings Call Transcript
Negative Sentiment: One‑offs and brand impairment risk: Management flagged impairments/one‑time costs tied to Bahama Breeze and noted a ~100 bps hit from Winter Storm Fern; these items weighed on GAAP results and add near‑term noise/risk. Some commentaries warn of building risks despite the solid quarter. Seeking Alpha: Solid Q3, But Risks Are Building

About Darden Restaurants

(Get Free Report)

Darden Restaurants, Inc is a multi-brand, full-service restaurant company headquartered in Orlando, Florida. The company owns and operates a portfolio of casual and fine-dining concepts that together serve millions of guests through company-owned and franchised locations. Its well-known brands include Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse, alongside other dining concepts that span Italian, American, steakhouse and upscale casual formats.