DRI Analyst Ratings
Darden Restaurants, Inc. (DRI) operates in the Consumer Cyclical sector, specifically the Restaurants industry, with a market capitalization near $23.55B, listed on NYSE, employing roughly 209,931 people, carrying a beta of 0.62 to the broader market. Darden Restaurants, Inc. Led by Ricardo Cardenas, public since 1995-05-09.
Analyst Ratings
In the October 2026 monthly count, 28 analysts rated DRI: 2 Strong Buy, 16 Buy, 9 Hold, 0 Sell and 1 Strong Sell.
Twelve months earlier, in October 2025: 33 analysts, 4 Strong Buy, 16 Buy, 12 Hold, 0 Sell and 1 Strong Sell.
Price Targets
- Average Target
- $237.79
- Median Target
- $240.00
- High
- $255.00
- Low
- $212.00
- Targets Published, Last 12 Months
- 35
Recent Price Targets
The 5 most recent of 35 price targets published in the last 12 months.
| Date | Firm | Analyst | Target | Price When Posted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25, 2026 | Bernstein | Danilo Gargiulo | $230.00 | $206.12 |
| Sep 25, 2026 | Mizuho Securities | Nick Setyan | $245.00 | $207.44 |
| Sep 16, 2026 | Seaport Global | Eric Gonzalez | $240.00 | $209.02 |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Oppenheimer | Not named | $245.00 | $218.61 |
| Sep 14, 2026 | Morgan Stanley | Not named | $255.00 | $209.82 |
Recent Upgrades & Downgrades
| Date | Firm | Action | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25, 2026 | BTIG | maintain | Buy | Buy |
| Sep 25, 2026 | Stephens & Co. | maintain | Equal Weight | Equal Weight |
| Sep 25, 2026 | Citigroup | maintain | Buy | Buy |
| Sep 25, 2026 | Guggenheim | maintain | Buy | Buy |
| Sep 25, 2026 | Mizuho | maintain | Outperform | Outperform |
Quantitative Rating
DRI carries a model grade of B+ (overall score 3 of 5), computed from six valuation and financial measures (discounted cash flow, return on equity, return on assets, debt to equity, price to earnings and price to book), each scored 1 to 5. It is not an analyst rating.
How to Read DRI Analyst Coverage
Sell-side equity analysts publish three primary outputs: ratings (Strong Buy / Buy / Hold / Sell / Strong Sell, or firm-specific equivalents), price targets, and EPS / revenue estimate revisions. Rating consensus moves slowly relative to price; it reflects 12-month directional conviction rather than near-term momentum. Price targets are more responsive but typically drift behind realized price during sharp moves. The most actionable signal for options traders is a cluster of ratings actions across multiple firms within a short window, which compresses or expands implied volatility on a horizon of days to weeks and shifts the put-call skew toward the directional consensus. The recent-actions table above shows the five most recent firm-level changes; longer histories live behind aggregator sources.
For event-driven options sizing, pair the consensus rating and target distribution with the implied-volatility surface and dealer-positioning view. Aggressive target hikes from multiple firms tend to tighten put skew (downside protection becomes relatively cheaper); aggressive cuts widen put skew. The size of the IV response in the hours after a rating change is visible on the per-ticker volatility skew page and the gamma-exposure page, both of which show how dealer hedging propagates the analyst-driven flow into the listed options chain.
Learn how analyst ratings is reported and how to read the data →
Frequently asked DRI analyst ratings questions
- What is the DRI consensus price target?
- As of the latest aggregator update, Darden Restaurants, Inc. (DRI) carries a consensus 12-month price target of $237.79. Target ranges run from a low of $212.00 to a high of $255.00. The target is the average of the price targets published by sell-side equity analysts covering the name.
- What is the analyst rating consensus on DRI?
- In the October 2026 monthly count, 28 analysts rated DRI, and the distribution tilts to the Buy side: 2 Strong Buy, 16 Buy, 9 Hold, 0 Sell and 1 Strong Sell. Rating consensus moves slowly relative to price; it reflects sell-side conviction over a 12-month horizon rather than near-term momentum.
- What recent ratings actions has DRI seen?
- The five most recent ratings actions on DRI appear on the page above. Sell-side rating changes are watched for two reasons: an upgrade or downgrade with a meaningful target revision moves the consensus and can trigger short-term positioning shifts, and the firm-level rating cluster (multiple firms moving in the same direction within a short window) is a clearer signal than any single action. Options markets often price the implied-vol response within minutes of the announcement.
- How do analyst targets affect DRI options pricing?
- Analyst target revisions tend to be priced in by the lit options market within minutes of publication, but persistent target drift over weeks does correlate with implied-volatility movement. Aggressive target hikes from multiple firms inside a single quarter tighten put skew (downside protection becomes cheaper relative to upside speculation); aggressive cuts widen put skew. The most actionable read is the implied-vol response in the hours after a target change, which is visible on the per-ticker volatility skew page.