BTIG Rates Darden Restaurants (DRI) buy, $235 Price Target

Analyst Peter Saleh reaffirmed a $235 price target for the parent company of Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse, a 13.14% upside from the current price.

By EarningsIQ Research Desk · Published Jun 26, 2026, 7:01 AM EDT · Updated Jun 30, 2026, 9:03 AM EDT

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BTIG rated Darden Restaurants, Inc. ($DRI) "buy" with a $235 price target on June 26, 2026.

Since the rating, $DRI is down 4.9% after 1 week, down 3.7% after 1 month and up 2.9% to date (from the $210.29 close on Jun 26, 2026).

DRI Darden Restaurants, Inc.

$216.35 +19.23% year to date

Daily close · Oct 16, 2026

Key Points

BTIG analyst Peter Saleh reiterated a Buy rating on Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE: DRI) on June 26, 2026, setting a price target of $235 per share.
BTIG's $235 price target implies 13.14% upside from Darden Restaurants, Inc.'s ($DRI) current $207.70 share price.
The $235 target implies significant growth potential compared to the current stock price of $207.7, as the company prepares for its next earnings report on September 24, 2026.
Darden maintains a strong return on equity of 53.7% and a dividend yield of 3.1% while trading roughly $22 below its 52-week high of $229.76.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

BTIG analyst Peter Saleh reiterated a Buy rating on Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE: DRI) on June 26, 2026. The firm kept its price target at $235 per share, suggesting the stock has plenty of room to run from its current levels. At a recent price of $207.7, the stock would need to climb roughly 13% to reach the level BTIG expects. This bullish outlook comes as the restaurant giant continues to navigate the competitive dining landscape with its portfolio of well-known casual and fine-dining brands.

Analyst rating track record

BTIG vs. the S&P 500

YTD return -25.78% hypothetical

All-time return +21.52% S&P 500 +38.69%

vs. S&P 500 -17.17% behind the index

Hypothetical returns from BTIG's disclosed trades, not real profit or advice. How we model this.

Darden Stock Performance and Valuation

On Friday, shares of Darden Restaurants were trading at $207.7, sitting comfortably above the 200-day moving average of $203.06. This average is a price level that many investors watch to see if a stock is in a long-term uptrend. While the stock is up from its 52-week low of $169.0, it still sits about $22 below its yearly high of $229.76. The company currently has a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 20.2, which measures how much investors are willing to pay for every dollar of profit the company makes. Looking ahead, the forward P/E is 17.0, suggesting analysts expect earnings to grow over the next year.

12-month forecast

$DRI price target

Darden Restaurants, Inc. daily closes and this analyst's $235 target. Not advice.

Broad Support Among Analysts

BTIG isn't the only firm that likes what it sees at Darden. On September 25, 2026, a flurry of other analysts updated their views. Freedom Capital Markets maintained its Buy rating and nudged its target up to $260. Mizuho also showed confidence, keeping its Outperform rating and lifting its target to $245. Citigroup stayed in the Buy camp with a $247 target, even though it trimmed that figure by one dollar. Not everyone is quite as optimistic, however. BMO Capital maintained a Market Perform rating with a $220 target, and Stephens & Co. reiterated an Equal-Weight rating with a $220 target. On September 24, 2026, TD Cowen kept its Hold rating with a $215 target. Across 26 different analyst opinions, the consensus remains a Buy with an average price target of $232.96.

Recent Earnings and Growth

Darden reported revenue of $13.21 billion in its most recent financial updates, representing a growth rate of 13.7%. The company is highly efficient at using its shareholders' money, as shown by its 53.7% return on equity. With a net margin of 9.1%, the company keeps about nine cents of every dollar it brings in as profit. Investors looking for the next update on the company's performance should mark September 24, 2026, on their calendars, which is when the next earnings report is scheduled to be released.

Earnings drift grade

Outlook vs expectations on the last report — not price action.

C+ 62/100

Reported Mar 19, 2026

Forward outlook
8 target raises vs 1 cuts.
EPS & revenue
EPS missed estimates by 0.8%. Revenue missed estimates by 0.6%.
Profit surprise
EBITDA missed by 7 percent. Operating income missed by 9 percent.
Pre-earnings setup
Expectations were about average.
Analyst signal
8 target raises, 1 target cut.
Earnings quality
Gross margin down 4.3 points. Positive free cash flow.

Earnings Call Summary

Darden delivered a strong second quarter with 3.1 billion in sales and 4.3 percent same restaurant sales growth, outperforming the industry by 300 basis points. Olive Garden led with 4.7 percent growth driven by the Never Ending Pasta Bowl promotion and strong Uber Direct delivery at 4 percent of sales. However, elevated beef prices compressed margins as the company priced 130 basis points below inflation to protect guest value. Management expects beef costs to ease in the fourth quarter and margins to improve in the back half.

Guidance Darden raised its full year sales guidance to 8.5 to 9.3 percent growth, up from prior range. The company expects same restaurant sales of 3.5 to 4.3 percent for the year and 65 to 70 new openings. Full year adjusted earnings per share guidance stays at 10.60 to 10.70, which includes about 20 cents from a fifty-third week.

Fine but not compelling. Acceptable results that likely do not create a meaningful forward reset.

Dividend Income

For investors who like to get paid while they wait for the stock price to go up, Darden offers a steady dividend. The company pays an annual dividend of $6.48 per share. Based on the current stock price, that works out to a dividend yield of 3.1%. The company currently uses about 57% of its earnings to cover these payments, a level that is generally considered sustainable for a mature restaurant business.

About Darden Restaurants, Inc.

Darden is a massive player in the American dining scene, owning and operating over 2,000 restaurants across the United States and Canada. Based in Orlando, Florida, the company is the name behind famous chains like Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, and Ruth's Chris Steak House. Because it owns so many different types of restaurants, from casual pasta spots to high-end steakhouses, it is often seen as a bellwether for how much Americans are willing to spend on eating out.

What to Watch at Darden Restaurants, Inc.

The gap between the current stock price and BTIG's $235 target will be a major focus for investors heading into the fall. While analyst ratings are a helpful guide, they are opinions based on current data and can change quickly if the economy or consumer spending shifts. The upcoming earnings report in late September will be the next major catalyst to see if the company's sales growth can support these higher price targets.