Darden Restaurants Q4 adjusted EPS up 22.8% to $3.66; authorizes $1.5 billion buyback
Darden reported fiscal fourth-quarter sales of $3.72 billion, up 13.7%, with adjusted diluted earnings per share from continuing operations of $3.66, up 22.8%; the quarter included an extra week that contributed $0.25 per share. The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $1.62 per share, authorized a new $1.5 billion share repurchase program, and issued fiscal 2027 guidance for diluted earnings per share from continuing operations of $11.10 to $11.35.
Key points
- Q4 sales rose 13.7% to $3.72 billion, including 7.6 percentage points from the extra week; blended same-restaurant sales rose 4.6%
- Fiscal 2027 outlook: total sales of $13.60 billion to $13.75 billion and diluted EPS from continuing operations of $11.10 to $11.35
- Quarterly dividend increased 8.0% to $1.62 per share, payable August 3, 2026 to holders of record on July 10, 2026
- Board amended bylaws effective immediately, raising the shareholder aggregation limit for director nominations from 10 to 20 shareholders
The filing
Written by AI on Nov 8, 2026, 1:10 AM ET, from this filing 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 June 25, 2026.
Briefs are written by AI from the filing text and can contain mistakes — open the filing before acting on anything. Impact (1-5) and tone are the AI's reading of the filing for shareholders, not a price forecast. Not investment advice.