Darden Restaurants Inc (NYSE:DRI) on Thursday reported worse-than-expected first-quarter financial results.

Darden reported quarterly earnings of $2.05 per share which missed the analyst consensus estimate of $2.06 per share. The company reported quarterly sales of $3.200 billion which missed the analyst consensus estimate of $3.206 billion.

Looking ahead, Darden left its fiscal 2027 guidance untouched, still projecting diluted earnings per share between $11.10 and $11.35 from continuing operations, a range that brackets the $11.27 figure analysts are currently modeling.

“The first quarter was a solid start to our fiscal year with each of our segments delivering positive same-restaurant sales,” said Darden President & CEO Rick Cardenas. “The performance across our portfolio reinforces the importance of having distinctive brands, each with a clear strategy, supported by Darden’s scale and other competitive advantages. Looking ahead, our focus remains the same: operate our restaurants at a high level, strengthen guest loyalty, invest in our people and brands, and deploy capital in ways that support long-term shareholder value.”

Darden shares closed at $207.24 on Thursday.

These analysts made changes to their price targets on Darden following earnings announcement.

  • BMO Capital analyst Andrew Strelzik maintained the stock with a Market Perform and lowered the price target from $225 to $220.
  • Freedom Capital Markets analyst Lynne Collier maintained the stock with a Buy and raised the price target from $255 to $260.
  • Mizuho analyst Nick Setyan maintained the stock with an Outperform rating and raised the price target from $235 to $245.

Considering buying DRI stock? Here’s what analysts think:

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