Darden Restaurants Q2 Sales Rise 7.3% to $3.1 Billion; Adjusted EPS $2.08
Darden reported fiscal 2026 second-quarter sales up 7.3% to $3.1 billion, with same-restaurant sales up 4.3%, and adjusted diluted EPS from continuing operations of $2.08, up 2.5%. The company also updated its full fiscal 2026 outlook, now calling for adjusted diluted EPS of $10.50 to $10.70, and declared a $1.50 quarterly dividend.
Key points
- Q2 sales rose 7.3% to $3.1 billion; reported diluted EPS from continuing operations was $2.03, versus $1.82 a year earlier
- Fiscal 2026 adjusted diluted EPS from continuing operations outlook is $10.50 to $10.70, including about $0.20 from the 53rd week
- Quarterly dividend of $1.50 per share declared, payable February 2, 2026, to holders of record on January 9, 2026
- Company repurchased $222 million of common stock in the quarter; $643 million remains under the $1 billion authorization
The filing
Written by AI (Anthropic Claude, claude-haiku-5-5) on Nov 8, 2026, 1:10 AM ET, from the text of the filing and its press-release exhibits only. Written later: this filing was briefed after the fact, when past filings were added to the site, so the brief may be read with hindsight; the filing itself is the record of what was known on December 18, 2025.
Briefs are written by AI from the filing text (each brief's own page names the model) and can contain mistakes — open the filing before acting on anything. Impact (1-5) and tone are the model's reading of the filing for shareholders, not a price forecast. Not investment advice.