Darden Restaurants stock gets USD 1.62 dividend as outlook is reaffirmed

Published on 10/05/2026 at 14:55 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

Fiscal first-quarter sales rose 5.10 percent to USD 3.2 billion. Darden Restaurants stock stood at EUR 179.23 on October 5, 2026 versus EUR 178.05.

Schwarz-Weiß-Reportagefoto eines belebten Restaurantsaals mit Servicepersonal — Darden Restaurants US2371941053 dokumentarisch in Schwarzweiß: belebter Speisesaal mit Servicepersonal und Gästen, Illustration mit AI erstellt.

Darden Restaurants (ISIN US2371941053) was trading at EUR 179.23 at Lang & Schwarz on October 5, 2026 at 2:43 p.m. CEST, up EUR 1.18 or plus 0.66 percent versus the prior close of EUR 178.05. On September 24, 2026, Darden Restaurants declared a USD 1.62 quarterly dividend and reaffirmed its fiscal 2027 outlook.

Sales grow while earnings soften

For the fiscal first quarter ended August 30, 2026, total sales increased 5.10 percent to USD 3.2 billion, according to Darden Restaurants. Blended same-restaurant sales increased 3.10 percent on a fiscal-calendar basis, led by LongHorn Steakhouse at 6.20 percent, while Olive Garden grew 1.10 percent.

Reported diluted earnings per share from continuing operations were USD 2.05 in the fiscal first quarter of 2027, compared with USD 2.19 in the year-earlier quarter. Reported net earnings from continuing operations fell to USD 234.3 million from USD 257.9 million, making the gap between sales growth and earnings performance the key operating detail.

Consumer pressure tests the outlook

CNBC reported on September 24, 2026 that Darden narrowly missed expectations, with earnings per share of USD 2.05 against USD 2.06 expected and revenue of USD 3.20 billion against USD 3.21 billion expected. The report also said Olive Garden's same-store sales rose 1.10 percent, highlighting a softer result at the group's largest chain.

Darden maintained fiscal 2027 diluted earnings per share guidance of USD 11.10 to USD 11.35 and expects total sales of USD 13.60 billion to USD 13.75 billion. The company also repurchased USD 222.3 million of stock in the fiscal first quarter, while the dividend is payable on November 2, 2026 to shareholders of record on October 9, 2026.

EUR 179.23 in afternoon trading

The Lang & Schwarz quote stood at EUR 179.23 on October 5, 2026 at 2:43 p.m. CEST, plus 0.66 percent versus the EUR 178.05 prior close dated October 2, 2026. On the NYSE, the latest primary-market quote was USD 200.33 on October 2, 2026 at 4:02 p.m. ET, against a 52-week range of USD 169.00 to USD 229.76 and a market capitalization of USD 22.9 billion.

The further course of trading is shown by the continuously updated real-time quote of Darden Restaurants stock.