Sarah King Acquires Shares in Darden Restaurants

Sarah King, the Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer at Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE:DRI), purchased 3,100 shares of the company on June 23, 2026. This insider transaction was not part of a pre-scheduled plan, indicating a direct acquisition of shares.

Insider Buying and Selling at Darden Restaurants, Inc.

In addition to Sarah King's purchase, several other insiders at Darden made significant transactions on June 23, 2026. President and CEO Ricardo Cardenas acquired 23,249 shares, while John Wilkerson, President of Olive Garden, bought 2,325 shares. Other key executives, including SVP and CFO Rajesh Vennam and Group President Melvin John Martin, also added to their holdings, with Vennam purchasing 5,890 shares and Martin acquiring 4,650 shares.

Other Institutional Activity in Darden Restaurants

Among institutional investors, Capital World Investors reduced its stake in Darden by 232,593 shares, leaving it with 14,928,684 shares valued at approximately $2.93 billion. BlackRock, Inc. also trimmed its holdings by 280,271 shares, bringing its total to 9,649,638 shares worth about $1.89 billion. On the other hand, Vanguard Capital Management LLC and Vanguard Portfolio Management LLC both opened new positions, with holdings of 7,473,998 and 5,355,047 shares, respectively.

Darden Restaurants, Inc. Stock Down 2.6%

Shares of Darden Restaurants traded near $209.98 on Thursday. The company, with a market cap of $24.28 billion, has a P/E ratio of 22.3 and a forward P/E of 18.6. Its beta is relatively low at 0.587, indicating less volatility compared to the market. The stock's 52-week range is between $169.00 and $224.94, with a 50-day moving average of $199.51 and a 200-day moving average of $195.85.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Analysts remain optimistic about Darden Restaurants, with Guggenheim maintaining a 'buy' rating and a $235 price target on June 24, 2026. Oppenheimer reiterated the same rating and target on June 18, 2026. Citigroup and B of A Securities also maintained 'buy' ratings, setting targets at $245 and $276, respectively. The consensus among analysts is a 'buy' recommendation, with an average target price of $226.23.

About Darden Restaurants

Darden Restaurants, Inc. operates a variety of full-service restaurants across the United States and Canada, including well-known brands like Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, and Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen. Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, the company employs nearly 198,000 people under the leadership of CEO Ricardo Cardenas.

Bottom Line

Sarah King's recent purchase of Darden Restaurants shares reflects a vote of confidence from the company's leadership. With the stock trading near its 52-week high, investors will be watching closely as the company approaches its next earnings report on June 25, 2026. As always, it's important to remember that insider transactions and institutional holdings can provide insight but are not definitive indicators of future stock performance.