Darden Restaurants reported fiscal 2026 fourth quarter total sales of $3.72 billion, a 13.7% increase driven by an extra operating week, a blended same-restaurant sales increase of 4.6%, and 43 net new restaurants. Adjusted diluted net earnings per share from continuing operations were $3.66, up 22.8% from the prior year, with the extra week contributing $0.25. For the full fiscal year, total sales reached $13.21 billion, a 9.4% increase, and adjusted diluted EPS was $10.64, an 11.4% rise. The board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.62 per share, an 8.0% increase, and authorized a new $1.5 billion share repurchase program. The company provided a fiscal 2027 outlook including total sales of $13.60 billion to $13.75 billion, same-restaurant sales growth of 2.5% to 3.5%, and diluted EPS of $11.10 to $11.35.
Darden Restaurants IncDarden raises dividend, authorizes $1.5B buyback, and issues positive fiscal 2027 outlook.