Get the Weekly Intelligence Brief — top committee picks every Sunday.
DRI · NYSE · STOCK

Darden Restaurants (DRI) Stock Analysis

Consumer Cyclical Updated August 24, 2026
$225.77
52W $169.00 – $229.76
51/100
$25.38B
21.2
0.58
AI Committee Verdict
Watch
51/100
Conviction: Contested · 33% agreement · 6 analysts
+2.9%
-9.8%
0.29:1
Contested

Is DRI Bullish or Bearish?

Mixed. Innellis AI committee rates Darden Restaurants (DRI) Watch with a composite score of 51/100 , based on 6 analysts with 33% agreement. Last updated August 24, 2026.

What Would Change This View

Upgrade to Buy
Requires a committee score of 60.0 — +8.73 from today. Applies on the first day at or above the line; upgrades are never dampened.
Downgrade to Reduce
Requires the score to fall below 40.0 — -11.27 from today. The band boundary is 45.0, but a one-step downgrade must clear a further margin first. A score oscillating around the line should not change the rating every night.

Executive Summary

The committee is genuinely divided. Technical Analyst sees a compelling case — price structure making higher highs and higher lows. Growth Analyst remains cautious — 4 consecutive earnings misses -- execution concerns. This disagreement is itself the signal — the setup is not clean in either direction.

Bull & Bear Case

Bull Case
  • ROE of 56.0% shows genuine earnings power backing the valuation — Value
  • Dividend yield of 3.4% pays you to wait — Value
  • Price structure making higher highs and higher lows — Technical
  • MACD histogram positive -- bullish momentum — Technical
  • Trend and market structure agree -- coherent bullish picture — Technical
  • Weekly trend (uptrend) confirms the daily trend -- multi-timeframe agreement — Technical
Bear Case
  • Price-to-book of 10.5x prices in significant intangible value — Value
  • Debt-to-equity of 1.84 adds balance-sheet risk to the value case — Value
  • 4 consecutive earnings misses -- execution concerns — Growth
  • Growth rate is decelerating quarter over quarter -- the trend line matters more than the level — Growth
  • High leverage (debt-to-equity 1.84) amplifies downside in a stress scenario — Risk
  • Current ratio of 0.31 is tight -- limited short-term liquidity cushion — Risk
Both cases are generated from quantitative data signals, not qualitative or forward-looking judgement. They summarise what the numbers say today.
Price History (6M)

AI Investment Committee

Committee Consensus As of August 24, 2026
Overall Committee Score
51/100
Agreement
33%
Analysts
6
Conviction
Contested
Sector Rank
Top 79%
of 178 Consumer Cyclical peers
Value Analyst neutral
50 / 100 · High confidence
Fair value -- neither a bargain nor obviously overpriced
+ ROE of 56.0% shows genuine earnings power backing the valuation
− Price-to-book of 10.5x prices in significant intangible value
Growth Analyst bearish
32 / 100 · High confidence
Growth story is weak, decelerating, or inconsistent
− 4 consecutive earnings misses -- execution concerns
Technical Analyst bullish
69 / 100 · High confidence
Price action is constructive -- trend and momentum agree
+ Price structure making higher highs and higher lows
Risk Analyst bearish
32 / 100 · Moderate confidence
Elevated risk from leverage, volatility, event exposure, or portfolio concentration -- size accordingly
− High leverage (debt-to-equity 1.84) amplifies downside in a stress scenario
Macro Analyst bullish
65 / 100 · Low confidence
Macro backdrop is supportive of risk assets generally, and this name's beta works in its favor
News Analyst neutral
60 / 100 · Low confidence
News flow is mixed or quiet -- no strong signal either way right now
Portfolio Manager neutral
45 / 100 · High confidence
Portfolio-level factors are mixed -- worth a deliberate sizing decision, not a default-size position
+ Portfolio position concentration is currently healthy
− Sector concentration is already high (HHI 3063.01)
Open Full Terminal →

Investment Thesis Evolution

Committee score moved marginally from 50.9 to 51.3.

Analyst-level changes:
  • Portfolio Manager: +1 bearish signal(s).

Comparing 2026-08-23 to 2026-08-24 (1 day apart).

Technical Analysis

RSI (14)
58.1
Neutral
MACD Histogram
0.302
Bullish Momentum
Trend Direction
Uptrend
Weekly: Uptrend
Market Structure
Hh Hl
Support
$200.06
Resistance
$228.02
Bollinger %B
0.71
Inside Bands
Price vs Moving Averages
EMA 9
$220.05 Above
EMA 21
$215.29 Above
EMA 50
$209.45 Above
EMA 200
$201.94 Above

Fundamental Analysis

Valuation
54
Growth
29
Profitability
85
Financial Health
0
Cash Flow
70
Valuation
P/E Ratio 21.2×
P/B Ratio 11.47×
PEG Ratio 1.24
Dividend Yield 2.76%
52W High $229.76
52W Low $169.00
Quality & Growth
ROE 5466.4%
ROA 938.2%
Gross Margin 6942.8%
Operating Margin 1198.1%
Revenue Growth YoY
Debt / Equity 2.74
AI Fundamental Assessment
P/E ratio of 21.2 (inexpensive relative to a 15-40x range); Price-to-book of 11.5x; PEG ratio of 1.2 (under 1.0 suggests growth is undervalued relative to price); Return on equity of 54.7%; Return on assets of 9.4%; Net margin of 9.1%; Gross margin of 69.4%; Current ratio of 0.31 (tight short-term liquidity); Debt-to-equity of 2.74; Free cash flow per share is positive (9.79); Most recent quarter missed estimates by 0.3%; 4 consecutive earnings misses; EPS growth decelerating (+41.8% -> +24.1% QoQ); Analyst estimates rising over recent quarters
Get the Full DRI Analysis
Interactive charts · Live committee votes · Trade plan · Paper trading · AI Q&A
Open in Terminal →
Weekly Intelligence Brief
Get the committee's top-scored stocks every Sunday.
Free · No spam · Unsubscribe anytime