DRI Darden Restaurants : A Deep Dive into Its Recent Performance
"In a world of shifting tastes and tighter wallets, Darden Restaurants serves up a recipe for resilience and growth."
Introduction
Darden Restaurants Inc. ( NYSE:DRI ) has stirred investor interest with its strong premarket performance, showcasing its relevance in a turbulent restaurant sector. As a major operator of beloved brands like Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse, Darden’s recent financial results offer valuable insights into the state of full-service dining and its future prospects.
Here’s a breakdown of Darden’s latest performance and what it means for investors.
Recent Financial Performance
Q2 FY25 Earnings:
Darden exceeded expectations with an adjusted EPS of $2.03, just edging out the consensus estimate of $2.02. Revenue hit $2.89 billion, boosted by:
2.4% blended same-restaurant sales growth.
The addition of 103 restaurants from the Chuy’s acquisition.
Net Income and Sales:
Net Income: $215.7 million for the quarter, showcasing its profitability despite inflationary headwinds.
Sales Growth: Up 6.0% YoY, reflecting both organic and acquisition-driven expansion.
💡 "In an industry battered by inflation and changing habits, 6% growth isn’t just survival—it’s strength."
Same-Store Sales Growth
Darden’s same-store sales increased by 2.4%, signaling organic growth.
Olive Garden: A steady performer.
LongHorn Steakhouse: The star player, leading growth for several quarters.
However, performance wasn’t uniform. Fine dining and other segments saw declines, highlighting the importance of diversification within Darden’s portfolio.
Operational Efficiency and Strategic Moves
Efficiency Measures:
Darden is leveraging technology and refining menus to manage costs effectively, sustaining margins amid inflation.
Strategic Acquisitions:
The Chuy’s acquisition expands Darden’s reach and offerings, laying groundwork for continued revenue and EPS growth.
Shareholder Returns:
Darden declared a quarterly dividend of $1.40/share, underscoring its strong cash flow and commitment to rewarding investors.
Market Sentiment and Stock Performance
Stock Reaction:
Following the Q2 earnings report, NYSE:DRI jumped 9% in premarket trading to $175.00, reflecting investor optimism.
Analyst Views:
Analysts are cautiously optimistic, with upward price target revisions. The EPS beat and a strong FY25 outlook have bolstered confidence in Darden’s strategy.
Future Outlook
Guidance:
For FY25, Darden projects:
Total Sales: $12.1 billion.
Adjusted EPS: $9.40–$9.60 (above consensus).
These figures reflect expectations of operational improvements and successful integration of new restaurants.
Challenges Ahead:
Rising labor costs.
Food price volatility.
Consumer spending patterns.
💡 "For Darden, the challenge isn’t just cooking up growth—it’s serving it sustainably."
Opportunities:
Darden is embracing digital transformation, with initiatives like:
A partnership with Uber for Olive Garden delivery services.
Enhanced digital sales channels targeting new customer segments.
Conclusion
Darden Restaurants continues to showcase its resilience and strategic foresight in navigating a challenging industry. With strong Q2 performance, a diversified brand portfolio, and promising acquisitions like Chuy’s, Darden is poised for continued growth.
However, as always, investors should monitor macroeconomic conditions and Darden’s ability to manage operational costs.
For those seeking opportunities in the restaurant sector’s recovery, NYSE:DRI is a stock worth watching.
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Dividendstocks
BOUNCE FOLLOWED BY LOWER PRICES FORECASTEDWhile the higher degree long-term outlook for this dividend giant is bullish, the short-term outlook is not likely to bring new all-time highs. Earlier this year we anticipated new all-time highs, but that changed when KO hit it’s 63.18 low last week. What changed the forecast was the technicals surrounding that low. While the price action is currently cooked to the downside, there are no clear indications of a reversal, with the weekly RSI indicating more room to the downside, and the MACD supporting that theory. This tells us to turn to the most telling indicator, which is volume, which indicates there is still strength to the downside. That said, we know the market does not move in straight lines and a strong bounce off the 63.18 low is likely. We currently forecast that bounce to target the round number zone of 70, forming a B-Wave rejection of higher prices, that will be followed by a C-wave, which will likely target the weekly point of control around 60. With that in mind, C-waves can truncate their targets, especially when the ticket involved is a popular long-term dividend target like KO, and we are talking about a long-term low that will create a significant buying opportunity. That said, if you can deal with the near-term volatility, the 63 zone may not be a bad entry zone.
LANKEM DEVELOPMENTS PLC : LDEV.N0000 : CSEOverview
LDEV is the parent company of AGARAPATANA PLANTATIONS PLC (AGPL.N0000) and 98% of group revenue of LDEV is from AGPL.
Strategy
1. Getting exposure to a probable interim dividend expected to be LKR 2.00.
LDEV subsidiary AGPL declared an interim dividend of LKR 1.00 payable on 28th Oct. 2024 which will generate LKR 239M as net dividend (after tax) proceeds for LDEV. As LDEV doesn't have bank borrowings we can assume this dividend receipt will be re-distributed as a dividend to LDEV shareholders. If the board decided to distribute the entire amount, it can be an interim dividend of LKR 2.00.
Assumption: Not deciding to utilize the proceeds in settling intercompany balances.
2. Getting exposure to a continuous dividend stream and exposure to one of the best performing plantation companies in CSE.
AGPL is currently with almost zero net borrowings. If tea prices remain @ current levels, we can expect the dividend stream will continue with enhancements.
EPS FY 2023 = LKR 1.20
EPS 1Q 2024 = LKR 0.71 (If tea prices remain @ current levels with current yields, we can assume a FWD EPS for FY 2024 = LKR 2.84)
Fundamentals
1. FY 2023 earnings
* FY 2023 EPS LKR 1.90
2. Q1 2024 earnings
* 1Q 2024 EPS LKR 1.52
* Assuming AGPL managed to maintain current earnings we can assume a FWD EPS of LKR 6.00 for LDEV. (FWD PE 3)
52 Week Price Range
High : LKR 23.90
Low : LKR 13.80
All time high LKR 38.90
Technical Analysis (Chart Patterns)
* LDEV had created a Descending Wedge pattern during the 2-year price correction and another wedge pattern during last 10 months of consolidation process. During last week both of these patterns recorded break outs.
Potential Pattern Targets
* 10-month consolidation wedge pattern target LKR 22.80
* 2-year descending wedge pattern target LKR 35.30
This is what Winner Stocks looks likeGreat stock for good returns. ADP's moat stems from its dominant position in the payroll and human capital management industry, which is bolstered by its extensive scale and network effects. The company's large customer base and integrated services create a significant barrier to entry for competitors, enhancing its value proposition. ADP's long-standing reputation for reliability and accuracy has built substantial customer loyalty, making it difficult for new entrants to challenge its market share. Additionally, ADP’s comprehensive suite of services, including payroll, benefits administration, and tax compliance, increases switching costs for clients. The company's ongoing investment in technology and data security helps it maintain a competitive edge, driving sustained financial performance and contributing to its high stock valuation.
CSCO Layoffs Positive for the StockNASDAQ:CSCO gapped up on its earnings report even though the company has failed to reinvent and failed to change to HyperAutomation in its IT departments quickly enough.
News of layoffs is considered a positive action on the part of the officers of the corporation who are responsible first and foremost to INVESTORS and cutting costs so that the company can slowly regain revenues and earnings for dividends for INVESTORS.
Delaying layoffs, which may be kind and thoughtful for employees, is a negative for INVESTORS, namely the giant Buy-Side Institutions, because it extends and worsens the financial condition of the company.
As more and more companies buy robots/robotics and AI technology, these will reduce payroll expenses and help to control internal business inflation, which is caused mostly by rising payroll expenses with declining productivity from the workforce of the company.
This is always misunderstood by retail groups who believe layoffs are a bad thing for the "economy." The world of commerce and the financial markets is not a fair or kind place.
GIS - Conservative Income PlayGeneral Mills has been gaining a bit of strength crossing above it's 20 week moving average. Volatility is dead flat.
Transacting a June 25 67.5 buy/write, in addition to a 3.5% dividend results in this play producing in annualized rate of return in excess of 12%.
I do this kind of strategy in a qualified account as dividends received in a buy/write transaction may not be considered qualified dividends. Be sure to seek the advice of an investment adviser before trading any of my ideas.
SUPREME INDUSTRIES TRADING IDEACup & Handle Breakout with good volume.
Stock can go as marked on the chart
Technicals
—Bullish Crossover
—Above 20 EMA
—Higher High breakout
—RSI 71
Fundamental
Stock P/E 44.2
ROCE 26.8%
ROE 21.0 %
Market Cap ₹38,226Cr.
educational purpose only!✨
Do your research before making any investment🥂
Bayer (BAYN): Is the Bottom Finally Here?Since our initial analysis in November, Bayer's stock has experienced a 40% pullback. Despite missing our limit order by 2%, we have decided to enter the market now and plan to make additional purchases if the price drops further.
The stock has held around the 88.2% Fibonacci retracement level. We are currently within the 50-61.8% Fibonacci extension zone for Wave 5, which aligns with our bottom outlook.
Our entry strategy involves making an initial purchase now, acknowledging the recent support levels. We plan to add to our position with multiple entries if the price drops further. Our stop-loss is set wide, at an additional 44% below our entry price, to accommodate potential volatility. This is considered a long-term swing trade, with an expectation of significant upward movement once the bottom is confirmed. This could be a knife catch here so please don't cut yourself too deep.
PG - A stock to buy for the long termFor long-term investors, Procter & Gamble presents a compelling opportunity due to its strong fundamentals and growth prospects. PG’s consistent financial performance, characterized by steady revenue growth and robust profit margins, underscores its resilience and ability to generate shareholder value. The company’s strong brand portfolio and market leadership in key product categories provide a competitive moat, ensuring long-term revenue stability.
The company’s strong balance sheet and cash flow generation capabilities provide a solid financial foundation for dividend growth and share buybacks while also investing in growth opportunities. For long-term investors, this translates to both income and potential capital appreciation.
AMZN Under Pressure to Offer a DividendInventory adjustments are underway for $NASDAQ:AMZN. These adjustments are minor as Dark Pools are holding AMZN long-term, but there are other opportunities to boost ROI in younger companies.
AMZN needs to provide a dividend now that it is a Dow 30 stock. The mild rotation is a gentle reminder to the Board of Directors from their most critical and important investors, the Giant Buy Side Institutions. AMZN is the only fortune 500 company on the S&P500 that doesn't provide a dividend YET. The company's CEO is seasoned and aware that the Board must soon offer dividends, as it is no longer merely a "growth" company.
The pressure is increasing to force a dividend by the Giant investors. This should happen this year. There are no buybacks going on right now either. So the lowering of inventory is a warning to get this done. The Buy Side has the clout to influence the Board's decisions. This would benefit all investors big and small.
The support is at the lows of the red box on the chart, as indicated by the gap down white candle that quickly ended the previous selling by smaller funds.
WHEN, not if, AMZN announces a dividend, there is likely to be some brief momentum activity to the upside.
$PFE on the moveVery clear picture on NYSE:PFE on a weekly timeframe
If it stays above the centre line, the trend is up and I have an initial target of around $35
If takes out the protective stock we have a continuation of the downtrend and this was just a minor upward correction.
Risk/Reward ratio 2.90
What's your take on NYSE:PFE from here?
Up or Down
Dividends Are Coming. S&P500 Annual Dividend Index FuturesA few months ago I started this research, research of Equity Index Dividend futures, provided by CME Group.
Well, sounds good. Let's continue..
Were you ready or not, but in February, 2024 Meta platforms (META) announced its first-ever in history cash dividend of $0.50 per share to be paid out on quarterly basis.
“We intend to pay a cash dividend on a quarterly basis going forward,” the company said in a release .
Meta stock surged for 20% after that amid other huge reasons.
Alphabet (GOOG) also issued first-ever dividend of 20 cents per share in April, 2024.
The news, announced alongside first-quarter earnings, helped to send the Google parent’s shares up 15%.
Dividend Market as well as Dividend futures trading shines bright.
Understanding Dividends and Dividend Market Futures
👉 A dividend is the distribution of corporate earnings to eligible shareholders.
👉 Dividend payments and amounts are determined by a company's board of directors. Dividends must be approved by the shareholders by voting rights. Although cash dividends are common, dividends can also be issued as shares of stock.
👉 The dividend yield is the dividend per share, and expressed as a percentage of a company's share price.
👉 Many companies - constituents of S&P500 Index still DO NOT PAY dividends and instead retain earnings to be invested back into the company.
👉 The S&P500 Dividend Points Index (Annual) tracks the total dividends from the constituents of the S&P 500 Index. The index provides investors the opportunity to hedge or take a view on dividends for U.S. stocks, independent of price movement, as S&P500 Dividend Index Futures is a market expectation of how many points Dividends Index will collect by the end of year.
👉 Using the S&P500 Dividend Index as the underlying in financial products, investors can hedge or gain exposure to the dividend performance of the S&P500 Index.
Understanding S&P500 Annual Dividend Index Futures
👉 The S&P500 Annual Dividend Index futures (main technical graph is for 2025 S&P500 Annual Dividend Index Futures) calculates the accumulation of all ordinary gross dividends paid on the S&P500 index constituent stocks that have gone ex-dividend over a 12-month period. The amounts are expressed as dividend index points.
👉 The underlying index for S&P500 Annual Dividend Index futures is the S&P500 Dividend Index. The methodology for the index can be found here at S&P Global website.
👉 Dividend index points specifically refer to the level of index points that are directly attributable to the dividends of index constituents. They typically only capture regular dividends and calculate this on the ex-date of the respective constituents within each index.
👉 In general, “special” or “extraordinary” dividends are not included as dividend points in the respective annual dividend indices.
👉 Futures contract Unit is $ 250 x S&P 500 Annual Dividends Index.
Technical considerations
🤝 Main technical graph (S&P500 Annual Dividend Index Futures 2025) indicates on strong bullish bias. Who knows, maybe at one sunny day even Tesla King, Elon Musk will unleash his E-pocket 😂
🤝 Happy Dividend Market Trading to Everyone! Enjoy!
SONAE: Fundamental figures too good to overlook. Time to buy?Fundamental Analysis
EBITDA: +7.2% YoY (to €990M in 2023)
Margin: 11.8% (-0.2 points YoY)
Net Income Group Share = 357 (+6.3% YoY)
PER: 1680 / 357 = 4.71 (heavily undervalued considering below data and historical PERs)
Net Gearing (Net Debt To Equity Ratio, ): 526/3462 = 0.15 (15%, Prudent)
Total Debt To Equity Ratio: 5383 / 3462 = 1.55 (around 1 to 1.5 is healthy according to British Business Bank's article "Debt to equity ratios for healthy businesses")
Current ratio: 2010/2502= 0.80 (not healthy and almost unchanged with respect to 2022, see next line. According to Wall Street Prep, 1.5 to 3.0 is healthy)
Net Debt to Ebitda = 526 / 990 = 0.53
Working Capital = -1220M€, keeps being negative. Very interesting article from eFinanceManagement explains the Advantages of Negative Working Capital for a cash-rich company whose operating cycle is fast (it may mean that they can bargain very well with their suppliers who provide the funds and the flexible time limit to pay).
Prev Current ratio (2022): 1938/2465 = 0.79
Proposed dividend for 2023: 0.05639€
EPS = 357M€ / 2000M = 0.18€/share (ATH?)
Current dividend yield = 6.19%
Dividend Payout Ratio = x 100 = 31%
Free cash flow Dividend payout ratio = x 100 = 60%
Technical Analysis
There was a disjoint channel happening since July 2022 on the Daily Graph in which the share price dropped out in the lower end in December 2023. Since the company has very good fundamentals, the possibility of an inverse H&S could be around the corner, having an interesting point of entry at 0.78-0.81. However, the share price is already heavily undervalued considering the fundamental analysis previously done. The daily RSI (14) bounced back in March 2023 from below 30 directly to the upper band at 70 indicating the possibility of a continuation of share price upward movement up to +20%. Therefore, it is up to the investor to decide whether at current prices (0.85-0.88€) is already worth the risk (if the 0.78€ ever gets touched and then bounces back up, the drawdown risk would be -11.4%).
Finally, it is expected that on May the company will pay the dividend. Therefore, the share price may re-adjust its value upwards in April before the dividend is paid and the share price is subsequently slashed down again.
Have a great week ahead.
The magic of technical analysis My way of investing in $O.
White bars- the price of NYSE:O
Orange line- US10Y -10 Year US Government Bonds Yield
If you are a dividend investor buy when Yields are falling and ride the dividends up.
How do you do it?
Legal Disclaimer: The information presented in this analysis is solely for informational and educational purposes only and does not serve as financial advice.
SCHD Getting Back on Track?Easily the best cash-flow dividend ETF, AMEX:SCHD seems to be in the process of getting back on its long-term track following the easy money excesses of the Fed's post-pandemic policies.
This forecast is a bullish scenario, imo, that might even accommodate a modest recession. The large-cap value stocks in SCHD tend to hold up well during market volatility.
FFH is going to bounce like a basketball! H&S pattern too!It appears as though FFH is showing two alternatives, an H&S breaking down, or, sideways trading in a horizontal channel, with a breakout likely happening early 2024.
A horizontal channel is a neutral chart pattern that marks investor indecision. Buyers and sellers fight, and it is only at the exit of the horizontal channel that they agree on a direction; either there are more buyers than sellers or there are more sellers than buyers; hence the strong force of the movement at the horizontal channel’s exit.
This train has left the station.
VST Industries can be trusted as a long term investment ideaVST Industries Ltd. CMP – 3278.05 (Long Term Investment Idea) (High Dividend Yield Stock)
Market Capitalization Rs 5,061.9Cr
Red Flags:🟥
Declining cash from operations annual
FIIs are decreasing stake
Green Flags:🟩
No debt
Zero promoter pledge
MFs are increasing stake
Improving annual net profit
Dividend Yield @CMP = 4.60%
Previous Happy Candles Number – 48/100
New Happy Candles Number – 50/100
X/2 Fresh Entry/ averaging / compounding after closing above 3314
Final Entry 3398
Targets: 3471, 3590 and 3665
Long term target: 3739 and 3866
Stop loss: Closing below 3158
The above information is provided for educational purpose, analysis and paper trading only. Please don't treat this as a buy or sell recommendation for the stock. We do not guarantee any success in highly volatile market or otherwise. Stock market investment is subject to market risks which include global and regional risks. We will not be responsible for any Profit or loss that may occur due to any financial decision taken based on any data provided in this message.
Coca-Cola: Opportunity of a Lifetime?A quick word on what is going on with Coca-Cola.
It seems like we are seeing the largest correction from the Covid lows in March 2020.
Looking for another leg lower into wave (C) before we could expect some upside.
As always feel free to as questions and leave a like if you enjoy the content!
Trade safe!
XLU - Hold Utilities for ConsistencyUtilities are basically yesterday's tech stocks. In the late 1800s, the stock market ditched railroads and moved on - to utilities. In fact, there was a time where speculation ran rampant and panics were set off based on the movement of utility stocks.
Today, utilities are the opposite of tech stocks. They are basically the most consistent and boring stocks you can find on the market. The utility SPDR (XLU) yields 3.3% on dividends & is a very good composite of the utility sector. It has gone up 16% over the past 5 years, which pales in comparison to the S&P 500 (43%.)
The only reason you would want to hold onto them for the long term is that you can be absolutely sure they will stay & keep paying dividends as long as the US stays alive.
Right now, XLU (and pretty much all utility stocks) has come down sharply. It briefly reached the key range near $61 only to sharply rebound.
Because utilities are so consistent, they will generally crash and rebound pretty sharply.
In 2020, utilities crashed quickly & stayed down due to extreme volatility. When you have any short of sharp decline, utilities usually move with the trading day and sometimes even underperform.
In 2008, utilities crashed and stayed generally undervalued for a while.
In 2000, utilities also crashed and stayed undervalued for a while. This may have been due to the Enron scandal around the time.
If you are worried about 1970s-like stagflation, you will be pleased to hear that utilities outperformed during the time and generally stayed flat. (The only catch is that during a major crash, they are not completely immune and will probably go down.)
From a trading perspective, this is a great time to enter because you can be pretty sure that within a few weeks, XLU will rebound to as far as $74 within a matter of weeks.
From an investing perspective, this is also a great time to enter if you like utilities.
Often, people who are very bearish miss out on a lot of gains because they do not hold anything for the very long term.
Utilities are sort of the most defensive stock option, and I would recommend them if you think a super financial crisis is approaching.
You can hold them with minimal fear of stock declines. In fact, they stand to profit from the issues we may be facing - stagflation, energy crisis, etc. Plus, you get a steady flow of dividends that you can reinvest.
In normal conditions, utilities underperform - but overall, they outperform during bear markets.
You could even pick pretty much any regional utility. I did some chart analysis on DUK (Duke Energy) and found it had also bounced off a key support. Almost all the utilities have the same chart pattern, with the exception of troubled ones like PG&E.
In summary, I would go long utilities here if you don't know what to pick in this time. You can be almost certain buying for both the long and short term that utility stocks provide value.
SCHW: One of the worse performers in 2023. Cautiously $LONGMain Idea/Insider "Alpha": Many large tech companies like NASDAQ:GOOG and NASDAQ:META use Schwab as their vendor to manage RSU grants. This makes me think Schwab is a great long-term investment and will continue to have good cash flow, assets under management, etc.
In the idea above, I present a bull case and a bear case. At worse, this will be neutral and you can sell options against your position and/or collect dividends.
In high interest rate environments, usually "banks" do well, and so schwab will benefit from halo effect if we see finance stocks continue to do well over the long-term.
Other data points
This website seems bullish as well:
simplywall.st
REWARDS
Trading at 12.7% below our estimate of its fair value
Earnings are forecast to grow 14.51% per year
Earnings grew by 10.8% over the past year
Pays a reliable dividend of 1.81%
Analysts in good agreement that stock price will rise by 35.2%
RISK ANALYSIS
Significant insider selling over the past 3 months
MPW - Probably the bottom MPW has had a rough 2 years. Not only facing a fed that won't stop hiking, but various FUD and shorters that are eager to short this into the ground.
It is providing long term investors with a picture perfect setup if your time horizon is multiple years and you like collecting yield.
My notes are on the chart, but, this is probably the best buying opp in years. The yield down here is also very attractive with a 50% retrace.
Very possible it goes deeper, but there's many technical reasons for a bottom to form here.
Obviously all bets are off if we get a limit down nuke to hades from the indexes.
I'm down bad on this at the moment from April 2022, but I've been reinvesting and lowering my average entry for the last 3 months at this point.
It's a fire sale and I'm not selling here.
IOC is a long term investment idea and a portfolio stockIndian Oil Corporation Ltd. is a diversified, integrated energy major with presence in almost all the streams of oil, gas, petrochemicals and alternative energy sources. The company owns over 36,445 Fuel Stations across India. Indian Oil Corporation CMP is 92.60.
The Negative aspects of the company are declining annual net profit, declining cash from operations annual and MFs are decreasing stake. The Positive aspects of the company are low debt, zero promoter pledge and FIIs are increasing stake.
Entry after closing above 93.50. Targets in the stock will be 95.10 and 96.35. Long term targets in the stock will be 98.25 and 100. Stop loss in the stock should be maintained at closing below 88.70.
The above information is provided for educational purpose, analysis and paper trading only. Please don't treat this as a buy or sell recommendation for the stock. We will not be responsible for any Profit or loss that may occur due to any financial decision taken based on any data provided in this message.