Darden Restaurants CEO sells $4.27 million in stock

Ricardo Cardenas, President and CEO of Darden Restaurants Inc. (NYSE:DRI), executed significant stock transactions on March 24, 2025. Cardenas sold a total of 20,518 shares of common stock, generating approximately $4.27 million. The shares were sold at prices ranging from $206.85 to $209.79 per share, near the company’s 52-week high of $210.47. The stock has shown remarkable strength, gaining over 10% in the past week alone. According to InvestingPro analysis, the company currently trades above its Fair Value, with a P/E ratio of 23.13.

Additionally, Cardenas exercised stock options to acquire 20,518 shares at $107.05 per share, resulting in a transaction valued at approximately $2.20 million. Following these transactions, Cardenas holds 58,836 shares directly.

These transactions reflect Cardenas’ ongoing management of his equity holdings in the company, which operates popular restaurant chains such as Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse.

In other recent news, Darden Restaurants has received several updates from analysts regarding its stock target and performance. BofA Securities raised its price target for Darden to $238, maintaining a Buy rating, highlighting strong underlying trends and a promising partnership with Uber (NYSE:UBER) Direct. UBS also increased its price target to $225, citing resilient sales trends and strategic plans for continued momentum. KeyBanc lifted its target to $220, noting better-than-expected restaurant-level margins despite minor setbacks in same-store sales growth.

Guggenheim also raised its target to $220, maintaining a Buy rating, with an optimistic view on Darden’s fiscal year 2026 earnings. Stifel increased its target to $215, pointing out that lower administrative expenses helped offset softer sales at Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse. The analysts have noted that Darden’s recent earnings reports have largely met expectations, with notable improvements in same-store sales and strategic initiatives like the Uber Direct delivery service showing potential for future growth. These developments reflect a positive outlook from various firms on Darden’s ability to navigate industry challenges and maintain its growth trajectory.

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