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

Last close, 3 Sept 2026
$218
−0.90% on the day

The 28 Wall Street analysts covering Darden Restaurants, Inc. hold a median 12-month price target of $235 — +7.8% from the last close. Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model, run across ~4,600 US stocks, ranks it 74 of 100 as at 2 Sept 2026 — in the upper half. Here, the model and the Street point the same way.

Market cap
$24.5B
Ticker Nerd rank
74 / 100
Median analyst target
$235
Analysts covering
28
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
+3.3%
1M
+5.7%
YTD
+21.2%
1Y
+8.0%
From 52W high
−4.2%
From 52W low
+31.9%
$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 2 Sept 2026
74 / 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
97
Growth
81
Quality
78
Value
69
Momentum
67
Issuance
65
Accruals
57
Revisions
50
Size
9

Volatility (97): The share price has been relatively steady.

Revisions (50): Analysts have, on balance, been cutting their forecasts.

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 says28 analysts
17 Buy10 Hold1 Sell
Low $156Median $235High $276

The green dot is the last close — the median target sits +7.8% from it.

Recent analyst actionsNewest first

Of the 20 most recent actions, 10 moved their price target up and 0 moved it down.

DateFirmActionRatingTarget
27 Aug 2026KeybancMaintainsOverweight$228 → $237
24 Aug 2026BairdUpgradeOutperform$220 → $250
30 June 2026Argus ResearchMaintainsBuy—
30 June 2026Argus ResearchMaintainsBuy$240 → $245
26 June 2026BairdMaintainsNeutral$210 → $220
26 June 2026BairdMaintainsNeutral—
26 June 2026BTIGMaintainsBuy—
26 June 2026BTIGMaintainsBuy$225 → $235
26 June 2026Deutsche BankMaintainsBuy—
26 June 2026Deutsche BankMaintainsBuy$230 → $236
26 June 2026Piper SandlerMaintainsNeutral—
26 June 2026Piper SandlerMaintainsNeutral$208 → $212
26 June 2026Stephens & Co.MaintainsEqual-Weight$210 → $216
26 June 2026Stephens & Co.MaintainsEqual-Weight—
26 June 2026UBSMaintainsBuy$230 → $240
26 June 2026UBSMaintainsBuy—
24 June 2026GuggenheimMaintainsBuy—
24 June 2026GuggenheimMaintainsBuy$230 → $235
23 June 2026Evercore ISI GroupDowngradeIn-Line—
23 June 2026Evercore ISI GroupDowngradeIn-Line$230

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 3 Sept 2026, Darden Restaurants, Inc. returned +8.0% against +21.4% for the S&P 500, dividends included.

DRI vs S&P 500, last 12 monthsTotal return, rebased to 100
8090100110120Oct 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
4
Analysts cutting
21
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
20.7×

Cheaper than 37% of US stocks

Price / sales
1.9×

Cheaper than 55% of US stocks

Price / book
11.1×

Cheaper than 9% of US stocks

EV / EBITDA
15.3×

Cheaper than 23% of US stocks

Growth & margins
Revenue growth (YoY)
13.7%

Higher than 60% of US stocks

Earnings growth (YoY)
33.3%

Higher than 68% of US stocks

Gross margin
23.3%

Higher than 26% 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
3.0%

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 $24.5B and an enterprise value of $32.4B.

  • 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: 20.7×; forward P/E: 17.4× — the forward figure prices analyst consensus estimates, not reported earnings.

  • Forward dividend yield: 3.01%, 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 3 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.$24.5B
74
QSRRestaurant Brands International, Inc.$35.9B
63
YUMCYum China Holdings, Inc.$15.8B
88
YUMYum! Brands, Inc.$42.0B
51
CMGChipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.$49.4B
54
TXRHTexas Roadhouse, Inc.$12.6B
64
DPZDomino's Pizza, Inc.$11.5B
75

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 to Release Fiscal 2027 First Quarter Results on September 24, 2026

PRNewsWire · 27 Aug 2026neutral

Darden Restaurants, Inc. announced it will release its fiscal 2027 first quarter financial results before the market opens on Thursday, September 24, 2026. The announcement was made via PR Newswire on August 27, 2026, from the company's Orlando, Florida headquarters.

Why it matters — Darden watchers will want to note the scheduled date for the company's next earnings report, which will provide an update on its financial performance for the fiscal first quarter.

This Darden Analyst Turns Bullish; Here Are Top 4 Upgrades For Monday

Benzinga · 24 Aug 2026positive

A Wall Street analyst turned bullish on Darden Restaurants as part of a roundup of top analyst rating changes. The item highlights Darden's upgrade among other companies' rating changes for the day.

Why it matters — DRI watchers would note a positive shift in analyst sentiment toward the stock, which could influence how the company is viewed by investors.

Six Darden Executives Sold Within a Week. Here's What to Make of It

The Motley Fool · 9 Aug 2026neutral

A Darden executive sold 2,226 shares for about $463,386 based on the July 29 weighted average execution price, reducing their direct common stock holdings by 35% in the filing. The article notes this was one of several insider sales by six Darden executives within a week.

Why it matters — Insider selling activity can signal how company leadership views the stock, so Darden watchers track these filings for clues about executive sentiment.

A Darden Executive Kept Just 742 Shares Directly After Selling. Here's What Investors Should Know

The Motley Fool · 9 Aug 2026neutral

A Darden executive sold 4,373 shares at $210.42 per share on July 29, for a total of roughly $920,200, leaving just 742 shares. The sale represented an 85% reduction in the executive's total direct common stock holdings.

Why it matters — A large insider share sale by a Darden executive could draw investor attention as a signal of the executive's view of the company.

LongHorn's President Sold Darden Stock After a 9.5% Sales Jump. Here's What to Know

The Motley Fool · 9 Aug 2026neutral

LongHorn Steakhouse's president disposed of 1,553 Darden shares, valued at about $318,000, on July 31. The shares included 1,110 held directly and 443 held indirectly through a spouse.

Why it matters — A DRI watcher would care because insider stock transactions by a senior brand executive can signal executives' views on the company's outlook, especially coming after a reported 9.5% sales jump at LongHorn.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about DRI stock

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

The 28 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 28 analysts covering Darden Restaurants, Inc., 17 rate it a Buy, 10 a Hold and 1 a Sell. Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model ranks Darden Restaurants, Inc. 74 out of 100 across roughly 4,600 US stocks as at 2 Sept 2026. None of this is personal advice — it does not consider your circumstances.

How does Ticker Nerd's model rank DRI?

As at 2 Sept 2026, Darden Restaurants, Inc. ranks 74 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 (97 of 100).

Will DRI stock go up?

No one can know that. What the data says: the median 12-month target from 28 analysts implies +7.8% from the last close, and Ticker Nerd's factor model ranks Darden Restaurants, Inc. 74 out of 100 as at 2 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 +8.0% over the 12 months to 3 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, 27 Aug 2026): "Darden Restaurants to Release Fiscal 2027 First Quarter Results on September 24, 2026". Darden Restaurants, Inc. announced it will release its fiscal 2027 first quarter financial results before the market opens on Thursday, September 24, 2026. The announcement was made via PR Newswire on August 27, 2026, from the company's Orlando, Florida headquarters.

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