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Darden Restaurants Inc.: Q4 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 25 June 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 9 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Q4 sales rose 13.7% with extra week: Fourth-quarter sales rose 13.7% to $3.72 billion. The company attributed 7.6% of that growth to the 53rd week, with blended same-restaurant sales up 4.6% and 43 net new restaurants. Source
  • Q4 adjusted EPS up 22.8%: Q4 adjusted diluted EPS from continuing operations was $3.66, up 22.8%. Reported diluted EPS was $3.54, after $0.12 of closure, impairment and Chuy's integration costs. Source
  • Fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS up 11.4%: Full-year adjusted diluted EPS from continuing operations was $10.64, up 11.4%, against reported $10.44. Fiscal 2026 sales rose 9.4% to $13.21 billion. Source
  • LongHorn sales and profit rose: LongHorn Steakhouse Q4 sales were $1,016.5 million, up from $833.8 million, and segment profit was $215.2 million against $167.8 million. Source
  • Every brand positive in Q4: Management said consistent execution helped each brand deliver positive same-restaurant sales for the quarter. Source
  • Operating cash flow rose to $1.85B: Operating cash flow from continuing operations was $1,853.1 million for fiscal 2026, up from $1,707.0 million. Purchases of land, buildings and equipment were $734.0 million. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA growth since 2019: Adjusted EBITDA was $2,161.8 million for fiscal 2026, against $1,183.8 million for the 2019 base year in the reconciliation. Source

“The fourth quarter was a strong finish to an excellent year, one in which we significantly outperformed the industry,”

Darden President & CEO Rick Cardenas

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Total sales Sourcefiscal 2027$13.60 billion to $13.75 billionNew
Same-restaurant sales growth Sourcefiscal 20272.5% to 3.5%New
New restaurant openings Sourcefiscal 202775 to 80New
Total capital spending Sourcefiscal 2027approximately $875 millionNew
Total inflation Sourcefiscal 2027approximately 3.0%New
Effective tax rate Sourcefiscal 2027approximately 13.5%New
Diluted EPS from continuing operations Sourcefiscal 2027$11.10 to $11.35New
EBITDA Sourcefiscal 2027$2.26 to $2.29 billionNew
Weighted average diluted shares Sourcefiscal 2027approximately 114 millionNew

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: Full-year guidance for fiscal 2027 was given for the first time in these documents, replacing the fiscal 2026 range from the prior release. Source
  • New: A new $1.5 billion repurchase program, with no expiration, replaces the prior $1 billion authorization, which had $516 million remaining at the end of the third quarter. Source
  • New: The quarterly dividend rose to $1.62 from $1.50 declared in the third quarter, an 8.0% increase. Source
  • New: The third-quarter release said Chuy's would be excluded until its 16-month ownership period ended in Q4 fiscal 2026. The Q4 quarterly metric excludes only Bahama Breeze; the annual metric still excludes Chuy's.

Fourth-quarter and full-year results

  • Q4 sales rose 13.7% with extra week: Fourth-quarter sales rose 13.7% to $3.72 billion. The company attributed 7.6% of that growth to the 53rd week, with blended same-restaurant sales up 4.6% and 43 net new restaurants. Source
  • Q4 adjusted EPS up 22.8%: Q4 adjusted diluted EPS from continuing operations was $3.66, up 22.8%. Reported diluted EPS was $3.54, after $0.12 of closure, impairment and Chuy's integration costs. Source
  • Fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS up 11.4%: Full-year adjusted diluted EPS from continuing operations was $10.64, up 11.4%, against reported $10.44. Fiscal 2026 sales rose 9.4% to $13.21 billion. Source
  • 53rd week added $0.25 to EPS: The extra week added $0.25 to both reported and adjusted diluted EPS from continuing operations for the quarter and for the year. Source

Brand and segment results

  • LongHorn sales and profit rose: LongHorn Steakhouse Q4 sales were $1,016.5 million, up from $833.8 million, and segment profit was $215.2 million against $167.8 million. Source
  • Olive Garden sales and profit higher: Olive Garden Q4 sales reached $1,538.0 million against $1,381.0 million, with segment profit of $373.0 million against $328.4 million. Source
  • Fine Dining and Other Business grew: Fine Dining Q4 sales were $371.0 million against $334.6 million. Other Business sales were $793.3 million against $722.3 million, with segment profit of $142.1 million against $126.3 million. Source

“This consistent cash generation provides more than sufficient capacity each year to fund the core requirements of the business, including maintenance capital to sustain our existing asset base, continued growth of our dividend, and investment in new restaurant development.”

Darden CFO Raj Vennam

Restaurant count and portfolio

  • Olive Garden and LongHorn added units: Olive Garden ended the year with 949 company-owned restaurants, up 14 from 935. LongHorn Steakhouse ended with 618, up 27 from 591. Source
  • Bahama Breeze count falls to 13: Bahama Breeze locations fell to 13 from 28 a year earlier and 27 at February 22, 2026. Continuing-operations restaurants totaled 2,202, up from 2,159. Source
  • Olive Garden Canada sale gain: Fiscal 2026 reported a $42.1 million gain on the Olive Garden Canada sale, which the company excluded from adjusted earnings. Source

Costs and margins

  • Food and labor costs rose: Fourth-quarter food and beverage costs were $1,119.3 million, against $983.9 million. Restaurant labor was $1,147.4 million, against $1,022.0 million. Source
  • Restaurant and marketing expenses up: Q4 restaurant expenses were $586.0 million, against $517.1 million. Marketing expenses were $43.2 million, against $41.0 million. Source
  • Pre-opening costs up, G&A down: Fiscal 2026 pre-opening costs were $34.5 million, up from $24.8 million. General and administrative expenses were $514.4 million, down from $520.3 million. Source

“With the right brands, strategy, and team in place, I am confident we are well positioned to continue growing the business and creating long-term shareholder value.”

Darden President & CEO Rick Cardenas

Same-restaurant sales and demand

  • Every brand positive in Q4: Management said consistent execution helped each brand deliver positive same-restaurant sales for the quarter. Source
  • Gap to industry widened in Q3: In the third quarter management said it widened the gap to the industry same-restaurant benchmark, with four brands each above it.
  • Fiscal 2026 brand comparable sales: For fiscal 2026 on a 52-week basis, Olive Garden same-restaurant sales rose 4.0%, LongHorn 7.2%, Fine Dining 1.2% and Other Business 3.9%. Source

Cash flow, debt and buybacks

  • Q4 buybacks totaled $138 million: The company repurchased about 0.7 million shares for $138 million in the quarter, including 1% excise tax. Full-year repurchases in the cash flow statement were $671.7 million. Source
  • Operating cash flow rose to $1.85B: Operating cash flow from continuing operations was $1,853.1 million for fiscal 2026, up from $1,707.0 million. Purchases of land, buildings and equipment were $734.0 million. Source
  • Short-term debt rose, long-term fell: Short-term debt and current portion of long-term debt was $693.6 million at May 31, 2026, against none a year earlier. Long-term debt fell to $1,637.7 million from $2,128.9 million. Source
  • Dividends paid rose to $693.0M: Dividends paid in fiscal 2026 were $693.0 million, up from $658.5 million, alongside repurchases of $671.7 million. Source

Strategy and investment

  • Bahama Breeze closure costs excluded: Costs for closing restaurants and exploring strategic alternatives for Bahama Breeze were excluded from adjusted results. Source
  • Chuy's integration costs: Chuy's integration one-time costs were $9.5 million in fiscal 2026 and $1.1 million in the fourth quarter, against $44.6 million a year earlier. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA growth since 2019: Adjusted EBITDA was $2,161.8 million for fiscal 2026, against $1,183.8 million for the 2019 base year in the reconciliation. Source

Team execution and leadership

  • Restaurant teams executed at high level: Management said restaurant teams continued to execute at a high level, which it linked to positive same-restaurant sales for each brand. Source
  • Team and manager retention high: The third-quarter release said team member and manager retention was historically high across all brands, enabling consistent execution.
  • CEO sees company well positioned: The CEO said the company is well positioned to keep growing and creating long-term shareholder value. Source

Coming up, as management said on 25 June 2026

  • Record date for annual meeting: Shareholders of record on July 29, 2026 will be eligible to vote at the annual meeting. Source
  • Annual meeting held virtually: The annual meeting is set for September 23, 2026 and will be held in a virtual format only. Source
  • Quarterly dividend payment date: The $1.62 quarterly dividend is payable August 3, 2026 to holders of record at the close of July 10, 2026. Source
  • Bahama Breeze exit timing: All Bahama Breeze locations are expected to be closed or converted to other brands between Q3 fiscal 2026 and Q4 fiscal 2027. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Blended same-restaurant sales growth, Q4 Source4.6%
Blended same-restaurant sales growth, fiscal 2026 Source4.5%
Company-owned continuing restaurants, May 31, 2026 Source2,202
Inventories, May 31, 2026 Source$326.3 million

Risks management discussed

  • Operational: Fiscal 2026 included impairment charges tied to Bahama Breeze closures and one other underperforming location, which the company excluded from adjusted results. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: The third-quarter release gave this range for fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS; the Q4 release reports $10.64 for the year.
  • Not stated: The third-quarter release estimated about $0.25 from the 53rd week; the Q4 release states the extra week contributed $0.25.
  • Not stated: The third-quarter release expected impairment charges from Bahama Breeze closures in Q4 fiscal 2026; the Q4 release reports impairment tied to those closures.

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.