Darden Restaurants (DRI) Reports Q4 Earnings: What Key Metrics Have to Say

Darden Restaurants (DRI) reported $3.72 billion in revenue for the quarter ended May 2026, representing a year-over-year increase of 13.7%. EPS of $3.66 for the same period compares to $2.98 a year ago.The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.73 billion, representing a surprise of -0.42%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +0.75%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $3.63.While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.Here is how Darden Restaurants performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:Same-restaurant sales - LongHorn Steakhouse - YoY change: 9.5% compared to the 6.7% average estimate based on six analysts.Company-owned restaurants - Olive Garden: 949 compared to the 954 average estimate based on six analysts.Same-restaurant sales - Olive Garden - YoY change: 2.4% versus the six-analyst average estimate of 3.2%.Same-restaurant sales - Consolidated - YoY change: 4.6% compared to the 4.1% average estimate based on six analysts.Company-owned restaurants - LongHorn Steakhouse: 618 versus the six-analyst average estimate of 618.Company-owned restaurants - Total: 2,202 versus 2,216 estimated by five analysts on average.Same-restaurant sales - Other Business - YoY change: 4.6% versus the five-analyst average estimate of 3.7%.Same-restaurant sales - Fine Dining - YoY change: 1.9% compared to the 3% average estimate based on five analysts.Sales- Olive Garden: $1.54 billion versus the four-analyst average estimate of $1.55 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +11.4%.Sales- Other Business: $793.3 million compared to the $819.9 million average estimate based on four analysts. The reported number represents a change of +9.8% year over year.Sales- Fine Dining: $371 million compared to the $377.28 million average estimate based on four analysts. The reported number represents a change of +10.9% year over year.Sales- LongHorn Steakhouse: $1.02 billion versus $978.88 million estimated by four analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +21.9% change.View all Key Company Metrics for Darden Restaurants here>>>Shares of Darden Restaurants have returned +3.7% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -1.4% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.Beyond Nvidia: AI's Second Wave Is HereThe AI revolution has already minted millionaires. But the stocks everyone knows about aren't likely to keep delivering the biggest profits. AI’s second wave is moving from infrastructure to implementation and these companies are at the forefront of this transition, positioned to become what Amazon and Google were to the internet era.See Stocks Now >>This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks