Darden earnings: date, guidance and results
MyStockButler's October 2026 analysis: Darden's next results are expected on December 17, 2026. The one thing to watch is cash generation after costs, conversions, expansion and debt service.
What has Darden guided for the year?
Same-restaurant sales growth guidance is 2.5–3.5%. The plan includes 75–80 openings and $875 million of capital spending. Diluted EPS guidance is $11.10–$11.35. Reported diluted EPS from continuing operations finished at or above the original guidance range in 3 of the 5 years summarized.
| Period guided | Low | High | Date given | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total sales | Year to May 2027 | 13,600.0 | 13,750.0 | Sep 24, 2026 |
| Same-restaurant sales growth | Year to May 2027 | 2.5% | 3.5% | Sep 24, 2026 |
| New restaurant openings | Year to May 2027 | 75 | 80 | Sep 24, 2026 |
| Total capital spending | Year to May 2027 | 875 | 875 | Sep 24, 2026 |
| Diluted net earnings per share from continuing operations | Year to May 2027 | 11.10 | 11.35 | Sep 24, 2026 |
What this means. The earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization figure shows operating profit before these costs are counted, so it is not the company’s final profit.
Did Darden keep its past earnings promise?
| What management forecast | Checked | Above | Within | Below |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total sales | 5 years | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| Same-restaurant sales | 4 years | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Diluted net earnings per share from continuing operations | 5 years | 1 | 2 | 2 |
What has happened to Darden's revenue and profit?
Revenue rose 5.1%, but operating income, net income from continuing operations, and diluted EPS from continuing operations declined. The comparison was distorted because the August 2025 quarter included a $42.0 million pretax gain from the Olive Garden Canada sale. Removing that gain makes the earlier operating result a less demanding comparison.
| Aug 2026 | May 2026 | Feb 2026 | Nov 2025 | Aug 2025 | May 2025 | Feb 2025 | Nov 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 3,200.3 | 3,718.8 | 3,345.3 | 3,102.1 | 3,044.7 | 3,271.7 | 3,158.0 | 2,890.0 |
| Operating income | 319.3 | 516.8 | 406.4 | 320.4 | 339.2 | 382.8 | 418.2 | 292.1 |
| Net income, continuing operations | 234.3 | 407.8 | 310.6 | 237.4 | 257.9 | 304.0 | 323.7 | 215.7 |
| EPS from continuing operations, diluted | 2.05 | 3.54 | 2.68 | 2.03 | 2.19 | 2.58 | 2.74 | 1.82 |
What this means. The cash-flow numbers are quarterly amounts, even though some were calculated by subtracting year-to-date totals from earlier reports.
What should I watch in Darden's next results?
The decisive evidence will be cash generation after costs, conversions, expansion and debt service.
Food costs deserve close attention through February 2027. Darden had arranged coverage for approximately 65% of its commodity exposure from September through February, with beef representing 29% of the spending mix. Coverage protects only part of the exposure. The question is whether actual food inflation stays near the annual assumption while sales growth leaves enough profit after food and labor.