Darden Boosts Dividend, Authorizes New $1.5B Buyback Alongside Q4 Results & FY27 Outlook
DRI sits 27% above its 52-week low of $169 on elevated volume (2.0× avg).
Summary
Darden Restaurants reported its fiscal Q4 and full-year 2026 results, simultaneously announcing a quarterly dividend increase and authorizing a new $1.5 billion share repurchase program. This significant buyback represents over 6% of the company's market capitalization, signaling strong confidence and a commitment to shareholder returns. The company also provided its fiscal 2027 outlook, setting expectations for the coming year. This follows the Q3 10-Q filing in March, which detailed solid sales growth and ongoing share repurchases, but this new authorization is a material capital allocation decision.
At the time of this announcement, DRI was trading at $215.00 on NYSE in the Trade & Services sector, with a market capitalization of approximately $24.4B. The 52-week trading range was $169.00 to $224.94. This news item was assessed with positive market sentiment and an importance score of 9 out of 10. Source: Dow Jones Newswires.