Lindsay Koren Buys Shares of Darden Restaurants
Darden Restaurants sees insider buying as Lindsay Koren acquires shares.
Key Points
- On June 23, 2026, Lindsay Koren, SVP General Counsel of Darden Restaurants, bought 465 shares of Darden (NYSE:DRI).
- Darden Restaurants has a market cap of $24.3 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.3, and a beta of 0.587.
- Analysts maintain a 'buy' rating on Darden, with price targets ranging from $228 to $276.
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On June 23, 2026, Lindsay Koren, the Senior Vice President and General Counsel at Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE:DRI), purchased 465 shares of the company. This insider transaction did not occur under a pre-set trading plan, indicating a direct decision to invest in the restaurant chain.
Insider Buying and Selling at Darden Restaurants, Inc.
Several insiders at Darden Restaurants made purchases on June 23, 2026. Ricardo Cardenas, the President and CEO, bought 23,249 shares. John Wilkerson, President of Olive Garden, acquired 2,325 shares. Rajesh Vennam, the SVP and CFO, purchased 5,890 shares. Additionally, Susan Connelly, the SVP and Chief Communications & Public Affairs Officer, bought 1,551 shares, while Laura Williamson, President of LongHorn Steakhouse, acquired 869 shares. Melvin John Martin, Group President, purchased 4,650 shares.
Other Institutional Activity in Darden Restaurants
In recent institutional activity, Capital World Investors reduced its holdings by 232,593 shares, bringing its total to 14,928,684 shares valued at approximately $2.93 billion, a 1.5% decrease. BlackRock, Inc. also trimmed its position by 280,271 shares, ending with 9,649,638 shares worth about $1.89 billion, a 2.8% decrease. Vanguard Capital Management LLC opened a new position in Darden with 7,473,998 shares, valued at roughly $1.47 billion. Wellington Management Group LLP decreased its stake by 1,228,575 shares, holding 6,848,992 shares valued at $1.34 billion, a 15.2% reduction. Meanwhile, Vanguard Portfolio Management LLC also opened a new position with 5,355,047 shares, valued at around $1.05 billion.
Darden Restaurants, Inc. Stock Down 2.6%
Shares of Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI) traded near $209.98 on Thursday. The company boasts a market cap of $24.3 billion and a P/E ratio of 22.3. With a beta of 0.587, Darden's stock has a 52-week low of $169.00 and a high of $224.94. The stock's 50-day moving average is $199.51, while the 200-day moving average is $195.85. The company maintains a current ratio of 0.387 and a quick ratio of 0.133, with a debt-to-equity ratio of 387.681.
$DRI stock price
Daily closing prices, year to date. Not investment advice.
Recent Earnings
Darden Restaurants reported revenue of approximately $12.76 billion, reflecting a growth rate of 5.9%. The company achieved a net margin of 8.7% and a return on equity of 51.5%. Its earnings per share (EPS) stood at $9.50. The next earnings report is expected on June 25, 2026.
Earnings drift grade
Outlook vs expectations on the last report — not price action.
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Forward outlook
8 target raises vs 1 cuts.
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EPS & revenue
EPS missed estimates by 0.8%. Revenue missed estimates by 0.6%.
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Profit surprise
EBITDA missed by 7 percent. Operating income missed by 9 percent.
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Pre-earnings setup
Expectations were about average.
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Analyst signal
8 target raises, 1 target cut.
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Earnings quality
Gross margin down 4.3 points. Positive free cash flow.
Earnings Call Summary
Darden delivered a strong second quarter with 3.1 billion in sales and 4.3 percent same restaurant sales growth, outperforming the industry by 300 basis points. Olive Garden led with 4.7 percent growth driven by the Never Ending Pasta Bowl promotion and strong Uber Direct delivery at 4 percent of sales. However, elevated beef prices compressed margins as the company priced 130 basis points below inflation to protect guest value. Management expects beef costs to ease in the fourth quarter and margins to improve in the back half.
Guidance Darden raised its full year sales guidance to 8.5 to 9.3 percent growth, up from prior range. The company expects same restaurant sales of 3.5 to 4.3 percent for the year and 65 to 70 new openings. Full year adjusted earnings per share guidance stays at 10.60 to 10.70, which includes about 20 cents from a fifty-third week.
Fine but not compelling. Acceptable results that likely do not create a meaningful forward reset.
Dividend
Darden Restaurants pays an annual dividend rate of $6.00, yielding 2.81%. The dividend payout ratio is 62.17%.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
On June 24, 2026, Guggenheim maintained a 'buy' rating on Darden with a price target of $235. Oppenheimer reiterated its 'buy' rating with the same target on June 18, 2026. Citigroup maintained its 'buy' rating with a target of $245 on June 15, 2026. B of A Securities also kept a 'buy' rating, setting the highest target at $276 on June 5, 2026. The consensus among analysts is a 'buy' recommendation, with an average target price of $226.23 from 26 opinions.
About Darden Restaurants
Darden Restaurants, Inc., headquartered in Orlando, Florida, operates a variety of full-service restaurant brands across the U.S. and Canada. Its portfolio includes popular names like Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, and Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, among others. Under the leadership of CEO Ricardo Cardenas, the company employs nearly 198,000 people.
Bottom Line
Insider buying at Darden Restaurants reflects confidence from its executives, with Lindsay Koren's recent purchase adding to this sentiment. Investors often track such insider activity as a potential indicator of the company's future performance. However, it's important to remember that these filings are historical and may not reflect current positions.
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