MEDIUM confidence: 100% data completeness, but the composite (58) sits in the indecisive 30–70 range — strong-buy and short calls require a more decisive composite. What does confidence mean?
Technical context for active traders — derived from price, the 50/200-day moving averages, the 52-week range, and recent volume. Not part of the QScore.
AI classification of policy/regulatory sensitivity from the company's sector, industry, and business description. Exposure/sensitivity only — not a political opinion, a prediction of government action, or investment advice. As of 2026-07-10.
Fama-French 5-factor (2×3) + Momentum, monthly OLS with Newey-West errors. Bars show signed factor betas; faded bars/figures aren't statistically significant.
Dated events from the market calendar; the “also watch” items are AI-generated observations from QScoring data. Informational only — not investment advice, and dates can change.
| Metric (USD) | FY2022 | FY2023 | FY2024 | FY2025 | FY2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $9.6B— | $10.5B+8.9% | $11.4B+8.6% | $12.1B+6.0% | $13.2B+9.4% |
| EPS (dil.) | $7.39— | $7.99+8.1% | $8.51+6.5% | $8.86+4.1% | $10.39+17.3% |
| Free Cash Flow | $857M— | $952M+11.1% | $984M+3.3% | $1.0B+5.2% | $1.1B+8.1% |
| Gross Margin | 20.7% | 20.1%-0.6pp | 21.4%+1.3pp | 21.9%+0.5pp | 69.4%+47.5pp |
| Operating Margin | 12.1% | 11.5%-0.6pp | 11.5%+0.1pp | 11.3%-0.3pp | 12.0%+0.7pp |
| Net Margin | 9.9% | 9.4%-0.5pp | 9.0%-0.3pp | 8.7%-0.3pp | 9.1%+0.4pp |
Absolute figures with year-over-year change. Margins show the level with the change in percentage points (pp). “n/m” = not meaningful (prior ≤ 0); ⚠ marks a large percentage off a small base — read the dollar figure.
Fewer than 3 analysts refreshed a price target in the last month, so no revision can be computed. Prior quarter: $229 avg across 9 analysts.
Buy-rated share 63% → 57% over ~3 months (-5pp).
| Quarter | Est. | Actual | Surprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2026 | $3.63 | $3.66 | +0.8% |
| Mar 2026 | $2.94 | $2.95 | +0.3% |
| Dec 2025 | $2.10 | $2.08 | -1.0% |
| Sep 2025 | $2.00 | $1.97 | -1.5% |
| Jun 2025 | $2.97 | $2.98 | +0.3% |
| Mar 2025 | $2.80 | $2.80 | +0.0% |
| Dec 2024 | $2.02 | $2.03 | +0.5% |
| Sep 2024 | $1.83 | $1.75 | -4.4% |
Net buyback (repurchases less issuance) ÷ market cap, plus trailing dividend yield.
Net insider -$13.5M over 180 days (0 open-market buys, 12 sells). Insider buying is the informative signal; routine selling is normal.
Short interest, days-to-cover, and institutional-ownership change require a data-plan upgrade (not yet available).
Forward-return IC, quintile spread & hit rate publish on /performance as the tracking panel accrues enough no-look-ahead history.
Working the DCF backward: holding the assumptions below, this is the free-cash-flow growth today's price implies over the next 10 years. It is a read on the price's embedded expectations — not a fair-value or target price.
The price implies FCF growth above the analyst consensus of 5.4%/yr (revenue basis).
Base free cash flow $1.0B (avg FY2024–FY2026; latest year $1.1B) · equity value $26.2B · levered FCF discounted at the cost of equity. Reverse DCF is illustrative, not advice.
The QScore of 58 for Darden Restaurants indicates a moderately attractive stock, with the short-term score slightly outpacing the long-term score. DRI scores high on momentum, driven by its +18.8% return over the past three months and a bullish 50-day versus 200-day moving average trend. The stock's value category is a relative weakness, as it trades at a P/E of 21.9 and P/B of 11.9, while its profitability metrics, such as an ROE near 56%, support its overall score.