Darden Faces Investor Backlash After Earnings Miss and Executive Compensation Move

Darden Restaurants, the parent company of popular chains including Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse, delivered a dual disappointment to its investor base. The company not only fell short of profit expectations but also approved a substantial special award for its chief executive officer, triggering a significant stock decline and raising questions about the underlying causes of the market’s negative reaction.

The company’s latest quarterly report presented a contrasting picture. While Darden achieved a notable 10.4% revenue increase to $3.04 billion, with same-restaurant sales growth of 4.7% exceeding projections, adjusted earnings per share of $1.97 narrowly missed the anticipated range of $2.00 to $2.01. The corporation’s flagship brands demonstrated particular strength, with Olive Garden posting 5.9% growth and LongHorn Steakhouse advancing 5.5%, though the fine dining division... Read more...