Darden's Quarterly Results Should Show Casual-Dining Trends Remain Strong -- Market Talk

1350 ET - Darden Restaurants' full-year outlook still looks achievable, Baird analysts say in a research note. Despite concerns that rising gas prices will cause a consumer spending pullback, the analysts say they haven't seen any signs of softer casual dining trends. "We believe Darden is well positioned to sustain healthy comp growth in a range of economic scenarios," they say. The analysts note, though, that they aren't expecting Darden's management team to quantity quarter-to-date trends. Instead, management is more likely to express its confidence in the resilience of the casual-dining occasion. The owner of LongHorn Steakhouse and Olive Garden is scheduled to report quarterly results Thursday. (connor.hart@wsj.com)

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September 21, 2026 13:50 ET (17:50 GMT)