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John W. Madonna, the Senior Vice President and Corporate Controller at Darden Restaurants Inc. (NYSE:DRI), recently sold a significant portion of his holdings in the company. According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Madonna sold 1,806 shares of common stock on March 24, 2025. The shares were sold at an average price of approximately $207.88, generating a total of $375,433. The transaction comes as Darden’s stock trades near its 52-week high of $210.47, with the company’s market capitalization now reaching $24.6 billion. InvestingPro analysis indicates the stock is currently trading above its Fair Value, following an impressive 26.5% price gain over the past six months.
The transaction was executed in multiple trades, with prices ranging from $207.795 to $207.95. Following this sale, Madonna retains ownership of 7,191.872 shares, which includes shares acquired through Darden’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan and its dividend reinvestment feature. For deeper insights into Darden’s valuation metrics and executive trading patterns, investors can access the comprehensive Pro Research Report available on InvestingPro, which covers this and 1,400+ other top US stocks with detailed analysis and actionable intelligence.
In other recent news, Darden Restaurants has seen several updates regarding its earnings and revenue projections. Analysts from KeyBanc and Stifel reported that Darden’s third-quarter fiscal year 2025 earnings per share met expectations, with KeyBanc noting stronger-than-anticipated restaurant-level margins despite a slight shortfall in same-store sales growth attributed to weather-related issues. UBS highlighted that Darden’s sales trends outperformed the industry by over 100 basis points in January and February, with plans to open 60-65 new locations in fiscal year 2026.
Guggenheim and BofA Securities have both raised their price targets for Darden, with Guggenheim increasing it to $220 and BofA setting it at $238, maintaining a Buy rating. BofA’s analyst Sara Senatore emphasized that Darden’s same-store sales growth exceeded 3% in March, indicating strong consumer demand. Additionally, the partnership with Uber (NYSE:UBER) Direct has shown promising results, particularly for Olive Garden, with order volumes doubling over the quarter.
Stifel analysts noted that despite a backdrop of deteriorating consumer sentiment, Darden’s comparable sales trends remain solid. The company is also making strategic adjustments, such as implementing the Uber Direct delivery service, which could enhance future sales. Overall, these recent developments reflect a positive outlook from analysts on Darden’s performance and growth strategies.
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