Darden Restaurants earnings beat estimates but Olive Garden growth weakens

An Olive Garden restaurant in Milpitas, California, US, on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images Darden Restaurants on Thursday reported mixed quarterly results as same-store sales growth at the company's fine-dining restaurants and Olive Garden fell short of expectations. Shares of the company slid more than 1% in premarket trading. Here's what the company reported for its fiscal fourth quarter compared with what Wall Street was expecting, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG: - Earnings per share: $3.66 adjusted vs. $3.63 expected - Revenue: $3.72 billion vs. $3.73 billion expected Darden reported net income of $404.9 million, or $3.51 per share, up from $303.8 million, or $2.58 per share, a year earlier. Excluding costs of restaurant closures and other items, the company earned $3.66 per share. Net sales climbed 13.7% to $3.72 billion, boosted by the inclusion of an extra week during the fiscal year.