SteelPeak Wealth LLC Makes New Investment in Darden Restaurants, Inc. $DRI

SteelPeak Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE:DRI) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 14,792 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock, valued at approximately $2,816,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Marshall Wace LLP increased its stake in shares of Darden Restaurants by 820.4% in the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 706,416 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $153,977,000 after acquiring an additional 629,669 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. grew its holdings in Darden Restaurants by 45.2% in the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,917,398 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $417,935,000 after purchasing an additional 596,863 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its stake in Darden Restaurants by 192.6% in the second quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 880,765 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $191,980,000 after purchasing an additional 579,759 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Darden Restaurants in the second quarter valued at $125,521,000. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Darden Restaurants by 239.4% during the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 722,529 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $157,490,000 after purchasing an additional 509,655 shares during the period. 93.64% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Darden Restaurants

In related news, SVP Matthew R. Broad sold 5,661 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $193.40, for a total transaction of $1,094,837.40. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 13,916 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,691,354.40. The trade was a 28.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.49% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Darden Restaurants News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised FY‑2026 and some quarter estimates (FY‑2026 to $10.56 EPS; Q4‑2026 to $3.55; Q4‑2027 to $3.62; Q1‑2027 to $2.10), which supports the view that full‑year results remain solid and within Darden’s FY‑2026 guidance range. This provides some upside for valuation support.
• Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer highlighted Darden’s performance driven by its chicken business, a positive media mention that can boost investor sentiment and short‑term demand. Darden Restaurants (DRI) Did Okay Because of the Chicken, Says Jim Cramer
• Neutral Sentiment: Broker commentary roundup — outlets reviewed analyst takeaways after Darden’s Q2 report; these summaries provide context but didn’t introduce major new catalysts beyond the Zacks revisions. Analyst Estimates: Here’s What Brokers Think Of Darden Restaurants, Inc. After Its Second-Quarter Report
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks trimmed several near‑term and FY‑2027 estimates (notable cuts: Q1‑2028 to $2.16 from $2.39; Q2‑2027 to $2.26 from $2.44; Q3‑2027 to $3.30 from $3.34; Q3‑2026 to $2.96 from $2.97; FY‑2027 lowered to $11.29 from $11.36). Those downgrades suggest slightly softer near‑term growth expectations and are weighing on the stock.
• Negative Sentiment: The mixed revision pattern (multiple small cuts vs. a few raises) increases earnings‑estimate volatility and short‑term uncertainty for investors, which can pressure the share price until clearer sales/cost trends reappear in upcoming quarters.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently commented on DRI shares. Citigroup decreased their target price on Darden Restaurants from $239.00 to $232.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Guggenheim reduced their price objective on Darden Restaurants from $235.00 to $230.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Evercore ISI reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Darden Restaurants in a research report on Friday, December 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Darden Restaurants from $240.00 to $230.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, October 6th. Finally, Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Darden Restaurants from $255.00 to $230.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, September 19th. Nineteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $223.75.

Darden Restaurants Stock Up 1.7%

DRI stock opened at $187.12 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.76 billion, a PE ratio of 19.61, a P/E/G ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a quick ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03. Darden Restaurants, Inc. has a twelve month low of $169.00 and a twelve month high of $228.27. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $180.31 and its 200-day moving average is $195.82.

Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 18th. The restaurant operator reported $2.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.10 by ($0.02). Darden Restaurants had a return on equity of 52.44% and a net margin of 8.92%.The company had revenue of $3.10 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.07 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.03 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 7.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Darden Restaurants has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.500-10.700 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Darden Restaurants, Inc. will post 9.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Darden Restaurants Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, January 9th will be given a dividend of $1.50 per share. This represents a $6.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 9th. Darden Restaurants’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 62.89%.

About Darden Restaurants

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.

Darden’s restaurants provide a range of guest-facing services including dine-in, takeout, delivery and catering, and feature menus tailored to each brand’s positioning—Italian-American fare at Olive Garden, steaks and grilled items at LongHorn, and more premium steakhouse and chef-driven offerings at its upscale concepts.