Darden Restaurants CEO Laura Williamson Sells 1,680 Shares for $340,000.

Darden Restaurants Inc. [DRI] recently announced that Laura B Williamson, President of LongHorn Steakhouse, has executed two separate transactions involving the sale of company shares. Firstly, Williamson sold 1157 shares at a price of $204.7 per share on July 30, 2025. Secondly, she sold 523 shares at a price of $204.65 per share on the same date.

Darden Restaurants Inc. [DRI], a leading full-service dining company, has seen recent transactions involving its President of LongHorn Steakhouse, Laura B. Williamson. On July 30, 2025, Williamson executed two separate transactions involving the sale of company shares.

Firstly, Williamson sold 1157 shares of Darden Restaurants Inc. common stock at a price of $204.7 per share. This transaction totaled $237,839. Secondly, she sold another 523 shares at a price of $204.65 per share, which amounted to $107,383. These transactions come as Darden maintains strong market momentum, with a 41% return over the past year, and is currently valued at $23.7 billion [1].

Williamson's actions follow a series of transactions related to the exercise of stock options and restricted stock units. On July 27 and 28, she exercised options to acquire 2252.8629 shares of common stock, with no reported purchase price. Additionally, she disposed of 464 shares of common stock at a price of $204.48 per share, totaling $153,973 [2].

In other recent news, Darden Restaurants reported fiscal fourth-quarter earnings that slightly exceeded analyst expectations. The company posted adjusted earnings per share of $2.98 compared to the consensus estimate of $2.97. Revenue reached $3.272 billion, surpassing expectations of $3.265 billion, and achieved restaurant margins of 21.6%, outperforming the projected 21.3%. Despite this positive performance, Darden issued a conservative outlook for fiscal year 2026, which was below analyst expectations [1].

Analysts have provided a mix of optimistic and cautious perspectives regarding Darden's future performance. Truist Securities reiterated its buy rating with a price target of $252, while Stephens raised its price target to $212 from $200, maintaining an Equal Weight rating. Melius Research initiated coverage on Darden with a Hold rating and a price target of $240, describing the company as a model of consistency in full-service dining. BTIG also maintained a Buy rating with a $235 price target, highlighting strong sales and positive traffic at Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse [1].

These transactions and earnings reports provide insights into the current market sentiment and financial health of Darden Restaurants Inc. Investors should closely monitor future developments and analyst ratings for a comprehensive understanding of the company's performance and growth potential.

References:
[1] https://www.investing.com/news/insider-trading-news/laura-williamson-sells-darden-restaurants-dri-stock-for-68839-93CH-4158801
[2] https://in.investing.com/news/insider-trading-news/laura-williamson-sells-darden-restaurants-dri-stock-for-68839-93CH-4933400