Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE:DRI) Shares Will Pay Quarterly Dividend of $1.62

Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE:DRI) announced a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, September 23rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 9th will be given a dividend of $1.62 per share by the restaurant operator on Monday, November 2nd. This represents a $6.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 9th.

Darden Restaurants has increased its dividend payment by an average of 0.3%annually over the last three years and has increased its dividend annually for the last 4 consecutive years. Darden Restaurants has a dividend payout ratio of 56.3% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities analysts expect Darden Restaurants to earn $12.41 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $6.48 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 52.2%.

Darden Restaurants Trading Down 3.2%

Shares of DRI stock opened at $206.83 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $212.01 and a 200 day simple moving average of $204.76. Darden Restaurants has a fifty-two week low of $169.00 and a fifty-two week high of $229.76. The stock has a market capitalization of $23.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.93, a P/E/G ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 0.60.

Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, September 24th. The restaurant operator reported $2.05 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $2.05. Darden Restaurants had a net margin of 9.13% and a return on equity of 57.44%. The company had revenue of $3.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.21 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.97 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. Darden Restaurants has set its FY 2027 guidance at 11.100-11.350 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Darden Restaurants will post 11.26 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Trending Headlines about Darden Restaurants

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

• Positive Sentiment: Darden reported fiscal Q1 2027 revenue of approximately $3.20 billion, up 5.1% year over year, while adjusted earnings of $2.05 per share were broadly in line with expectations. Same-restaurant sales rose 3.1% across the portfolio. Darden fiscal 2027 first-quarter results
• Positive Sentiment: Management reaffirmed fiscal 2027 adjusted EPS guidance of $11.10 to $11.35, close to the analyst consensus of $11.28, reducing the risk of a broader outlook reset. Darden also said Yard House plans to open 13 locations. Darden reaffirms fiscal 2027 guidance
• Positive Sentiment: The board declared a quarterly dividend of $1.62 per share, or $6.48 annualized, representing a yield of about 3.1%. Shareholders also backed the existing board and governance structure at the annual meeting. Darden shareholder meeting results
• Neutral Sentiment: LongHorn Steakhouse remained a relative bright spot, posting 6.2% same-store sales growth, while management continues to benefit from sales growth across its restaurant segments.
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue fell short of the roughly $3.21 billion consensus estimate, and higher food and labor costs pressured profits. Reported net income declined to about $233 million from $258 million a year earlier. Darden profit declines on higher expenses
• Negative Sentiment: Olive Garden’s same-store sales growth slowed to 1.1%, raising concerns about consumer traffic and the durability of growth at Darden’s flagship brand. The combination of the revenue miss, weaker Olive Garden momentum and margin pressure is driving the negative investor reaction despite the reaffirmed outlook. Darden stock falls as Olive Garden growth slows

About Darden Restaurants

Darden Restaurants, Inc (NYSE: DRI) is a full-service restaurant company headquartered in Orlando, Florida. It operates and franchises a portfolio of dining brands serving a range of cuisines, price points and occasions, with restaurants primarily located in the United States and select international markets.

Its restaurant portfolio includes Olive Garden, an Italian-American dining chain; LongHorn Steakhouse; Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen; Yard House; The Capital Grille; Seasons 52; Bahama Breeze; Eddie V’s; Ruth’s Chris Steak House; and Chuy’s.