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DRI Stock Forecast: Darden Restaurants, Inc. Price Predictions for 2026-2027

Last close, 23 Sept 2026
$214
+0.07% on the day

The 29 Wall Street analysts covering Darden Restaurants, Inc. hold a median 12-month price target of $235 — +10.0% from the last close. Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model, run across ~4,600 US stocks, ranks it 79 of 100 as at 23 Sept 2026 — inside the top quartile. Here, the model and the Street point the same way.

Market cap
$24.0B
Ticker Nerd rank
79 / 100
Median analyst target
$235
Analysts covering
29
Revenue$3.7B+13.7% y/y
Operating income$537.6M
Net income$404.9M
Free cash flow$368.7M
Quarterly, 8 quarters to 31 May 2026 · latest quarter's figure shown
Total return, dividends reinvested
1W
+2.7%
1M
−3.6%
YTD
+18.8%
1Y
+18.2%
From 52W high
−6.1%
From 52W low
+29.2%
$165
$228
52-week range, adjusted closes · the dot is the last close
Ticker Nerd rank

DRI stock analysis: one number for the whole business

Consensus tells you what everyone already believes. The model scores Darden Restaurants, Inc. on its factor families — the same systematic rank behind the Ticker Nerd portfolio.

Where the model ranks itAs at 23 Sept 2026
79 / 100

Percentile across ~4,600 US stocks on Ticker Nerd’s systematic factor model. Higher is better. How the model is built and tested

Volatility
95
Growth
80
Quality
78
Momentum
75
Value
67
Issuance
65
Revisions
59
Accruals
57
Size
9

Volatility (95): The share price has been relatively steady.

Accruals (57): A large share of reported profit has not shown up as cash, or the balance sheet is expanding quickly — both tend to unwind.

Size (9): Larger than most of the companies we track — more scrutinised, less often mispriced.

Built and run by Aslam Ghouse, an ex-Goldman Sachs quant trader with fourteen years in markets.

Wall Street

DRI stock forecast 2026-2027: analyst price targets & predictions

The bullish and bearish analyst opinions on DRI, reported as data — targets and ratings, the market's view beside the model's.

Share price and the analyst range, 12 monthsAdjusted close, US dollars
$150$200$250$300Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 26DRIHigh $276Median $235Low $156

Price targets and ratings are third-party analyst estimates, reported here as data. They are not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.

Data provided by Twelve Data

What Wall Street says29 analysts
18 Buy10 Hold1 Sell
Low $156Median $235High $276

The green dot is the last close — the median target sits +10.0% from it.

Recent analyst actionsNewest first

Of the 20 most recent actions, 11 moved their price target up and 0 moved it down.

DateFirmActionRatingTarget
21 Sept 2026Freedom Capital MarketsMaintainsBuy$255
16 Sept 2026Seaport GlobalInitiatesBuy$240
15 Sept 2026OppenheimerMaintainsOutperform$235 → $245
14 Sept 2026Morgan StanleyMaintainsOverweight$236 → $255
11 Sept 2026CitigroupMaintainsBuy$245 → $248
11 Sept 2026Stephens & Co.MaintainsEqual-Weight$216 → $220
27 Aug 2026KeybancMaintainsOverweight$228 → $237
27 Aug 2026KeybancMaintainsOverweight—
24 Aug 2026BairdUpgradeOutperform$220 → $250
24 Aug 2026BairdUpgradeOutperform—
30 June 2026Argus ResearchMaintainsBuy—
30 June 2026Argus ResearchMaintainsBuy$240 → $245
26 June 2026BairdMaintainsNeutral—
26 June 2026BairdMaintainsNeutral$210 → $220
26 June 2026BTIGMaintainsBuy$225 → $235
26 June 2026BTIGMaintainsBuy—
26 June 2026Deutsche BankMaintainsBuy—
26 June 2026Deutsche BankMaintainsBuy$230 → $236
26 June 2026Piper SandlerMaintainsNeutral$208 → $212
26 June 2026Piper SandlerMaintainsNeutral—

Price targets and ratings are third-party analyst estimates, reported here as data. They are not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.

Market Radar

This page is one stock. Monday covers all of them.

Computed off the Friday close and sent before the US open.

Market Radar reports the week’s largest rank changes across roughly 4,600 US stocks, the factor behind each one, and where the market went. DRI appears on the weeks it earns a place.

Free, every Monday. Unsubscribe any time.

Performance

DRI vs the S&P 500

Both lines are total return — dividends reinvested — so the comparison is honest on both sides.

Over the twelve months to 23 Sept 2026, Darden Restaurants, Inc. returned +18.2% against +17.0% for the S&P 500, dividends included.

DRI vs S&P 500, last 12 monthsTotal return, rebased to 100
90100110120130Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 26DRIS&P 500

Download this chart as an image — free to reuse; link this page as the source.

Data provided by Twelve Data

Estimates

DRI analyst estimate revisions

Not the forecast itself — the direction analysts are revising it. Revision direction is one of the model's factor families.

Which way the estimates are movingNext fiscal year
EPS revision, 90 days
−0.8%
Analysts raising
1
Analysts cutting
0
Fundamentals

Darden Restaurants, Inc. (DRI) financial data

A margin means little on its own. Each bar marks where the figure sits across the whole US universe we score.

Valuation
Trailing P/E
20.2×

Cheaper than 37% of US stocks

Price / sales
1.8×

Cheaper than 54% of US stocks

Price / book
10.9×

Cheaper than 9% of US stocks

EV / EBITDA
15.1×

Cheaper than 22% of US stocks

Growth & margins
Revenue growth (YoY)
13.7%

Higher than 60% of US stocks

Earnings growth (YoY)
33.3%

Higher than 67% of US stocks

Gross margin
23.3%

Higher than 25% of US stocks

Operating margin
14.1%

Higher than 71% of US stocks

Net margin
9.1%

Higher than 68% of US stocks

Returns & dividend
Return on equity
53.7%

Higher than 93% of US stocks

Return on assets
7.7%

Higher than 87% of US stocks

Dividend yield
3.1%

Higher than 64% of US dividend payers

Bars mark the percentile across the ~4,600 US stocks Ticker Nerd covers, among those reporting the figure.

Key statistics

Darden Restaurants, Inc. (DRI) statistics: revenue, profit & scale

The headline figures, each with its date. Every row carries its own link — cite it straight from here.

  • Darden Restaurants, Inc. has a market value of $24.0B and an enterprise value of $31.9B.

  • Revenue in the twelve months to 31 May 2026: $13.2B. The latest quarter grew 13.7% year on year.

  • Net income over the same four quarters: $1.2B, a 9.1% net margin.

  • Diluted earnings per share, trailing twelve months: $10.38.

  • Free cash flow in the twelve months to 31 May 2026: $1.1B, after $26.4M of capital spending.

  • Darden Restaurants, Inc. spent $671.7M on share buybacks and $693.0M on dividends in the twelve months to 31 May 2026.

  • Shares outstanding: 114.1M.

  • Trailing P/E: 20.2×; forward P/E: 17.0× — the forward figure prices analyst consensus estimates, not reported earnings.

  • Forward dividend yield: 3.07%, paying out 57% of earnings.

  • Darden Restaurants, Inc. employs 209,931 people — $63K of revenue per employee.

Statement figures: company filings via Twelve Data, four quarters to 31 May 2026 · market figures as at 24 Sept 2026

Data provided by Twelve Data

Peers

DRI vs competitors

The nearest names by industry and size, scored by the same model — like for like.

Its peer group, ranked by the same modelRestaurants
CompanyMarket capTKN rank
DRIDarden Restaurants, Inc.$24.0B
79
QSRRestaurant Brands International, Inc.$32.6B
63
YUMYum! Brands, Inc.$39.0B
52
YUMCYum China Holdings, Inc.$14.4B
88
CMGChipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.$42.0B
55
TXRHTexas Roadhouse, Inc.$10.9B
65
DPZDomino's Pizza, Inc.$9.8B
76

Look up any of the roughly 4,600 stocks we score.

The rank is the raw material. Whether the rules would actually own Darden Restaurants, Inc. — and when they’d sell — is the membership. See the Ticker Nerd 20 →

News

Latest DRI news & analysis

Darden Restaurants Reports Fiscal 2027 First Quarter Results; Declares Quarterly Dividend; and Reaffirms Fiscal 2027 Outlook

PRNewsWire · 24 Sept 2026positive

Darden Restaurants, Inc. reported its financial results for the fiscal 2027 first quarter ended August 30, 2026. The company also declared a quarterly dividend and reaffirmed its fiscal 2027 outlook.

Why it matters — DRI watchers would care because the company's reaffirmed outlook and declared dividend provide signals about its financial trajectory and shareholder returns for the fiscal year.

Darden Restaurants, TD Synnex And 3 Stocks To Watch Heading Into Thursday

Benzinga · 24 Sept 2026neutral

A Benzinga market preview article lists Darden Restaurants, along with TD Synnex and other stocks, as names to watch heading into Thursday trading, with U.S. stock futures trading lower that morning. No specific developments or details regarding Darden are provided in the excerpt.

Why it matters — Darden is flagged as a stock drawing investor attention that day, so DRI watchers would note the company is among those being monitored as trading begins.

Darden Restaurants Shareholders Elect Board, Reject Disclosure Proposal

MarketBeat · 24 Sept 2026positive

Darden Restaurants shareholders elected all nine board nominees and approved every management proposal presented at the company's 2026 annual meeting, based on preliminary voting results announced during the virtual event.

Why it matters — A DRI watcher would care because shareholder support for all board nominees and management proposals signals investor alignment with the company's current leadership and governance.

Darden sales momentum strengthens despite casual-dining slowdown

Proactive Investors · 23 Sept 2026positive

Darden Restaurants reported stronger aggregate sales momentum through August despite a broader casual-dining slowdown. In response, Bank of America raised its first-quarter fiscal 2027 same-store sales growth estimate for LongHorn to 6.5% from 4.2%, citing sustained market share gains, while cutting its Olive Garden estimate.

Why it matters — DRI watchers would care because improved sales momentum and a bullish LongHorn forecast signal resilience and market-share gains even as the casual-dining sector slows.

How To Earn $500 A Month From Darden Restaurants Stock Ahead Of Q1 Earnings

Benzinga · 23 Sept 2026neutral

Darden Restaurants is set to release its fiscal first-quarter earnings report before the market opens on Thursday, Sept. 24. Ahead of that report, the article notes investors may be focusing on potential income from the company's dividend payments.

Why it matters — The piece highlights Darden's dividend as a point of interest for income-focused investors ahead of its upcoming quarterly earnings release.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about DRI stock

What is the DRI stock price forecast for 2026-2027?

The 29 Wall Street analysts covering Darden Restaurants, Inc. have a median 12-month price target of $235, with estimates ranging from $156 to $276. These are third-party analyst estimates, not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.

Is DRI stock a buy right now?

Of the 29 analysts covering Darden Restaurants, Inc., 18 rate it a Buy, 10 a Hold and 1 a Sell. Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model ranks Darden Restaurants, Inc. 79 out of 100 across roughly 4,600 US stocks as at 23 Sept 2026. None of this is personal advice — it does not consider your circumstances.

How does Ticker Nerd's model rank DRI?

As at 23 Sept 2026, Darden Restaurants, Inc. ranks 79 out of 100 on Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model — a percentile across roughly 4,600 US stocks, built from its factor families. Its strongest factor family is Volatility (95 of 100).

Will DRI stock go up?

No one can know that. What the data says: the median 12-month target from 29 analysts implies +10.0% from the last close, and Ticker Nerd's factor model ranks Darden Restaurants, Inc. 79 out of 100 as at 23 Sept 2026. Analyst targets are third-party estimates and frequently wrong; none of this is personal advice.

What is the DRI stock forecast for 2030?

No analyst covering Darden Restaurants, Inc. publishes a 2030 price target — Wall Street targets run 12 to 18 months out. Sites quoting a 2030 price for DRI are extrapolating price history, which says nothing about the business. The furthest attributed numbers are the current analyst targets: $156 to $276 over the next 12 months.

How has DRI stock performed over the past year?

Darden Restaurants, Inc. returned +18.2% over the 12 months to 23 Sept 2026, with dividends reinvested. Past performance does not indicate future returns.

What does Darden Restaurants, Inc. do?

Darden Restaurants, Inc. is a full-service restaurant company that owns and operates a portfolio of well-known dining brands across the United States and Canada.

What is the latest news on DRI?

The most recent item we track (PRNewsWire, 24 Sept 2026): "Darden Restaurants Reports Fiscal 2027 First Quarter Results; Declares Quarterly Dividend; and Reaffirms Fiscal 2027 Outlook". Darden Restaurants, Inc. reported its financial results for the fiscal 2027 first quarter ended August 30, 2026. The company also declared a quarterly dividend and reaffirmed its fiscal 2027 outlook.

Company

About Darden Restaurants, Inc.

Darden Restaurants, Inc. is a full-service restaurant company that owns and operates a portfolio of well-known dining brands across the United States and Canada. Its restaurant family includes Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, Yard House, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, The Capital Grille, Chuy’s, Seasons 52, Eddie V’s, and Bahama Breeze, serving a broad mix of casual, polished casual, and fine-dining occasions. The company focuses on dine-in service, takeout, beverages, bar offerings, catering, and gift cards, supported by a multi-brand operating model designed to serve different customer preferences and dining experiences. Darden Restaurants plays an important role in the North American full-service dining market by combining scale, brand recognition, and operational consistency across a diverse restaurant portfolio. Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, Darden Restaurants remains one of the largest operators in the full-service restaurant sector.

CEO Mr. Ricardo Cardenas CPA · 209,931 employees · United States · https://www.darden.com