Darden Restaurants, Inc.
DRIConsumer Cyclical · Stock · quarterly payer
Forward Yield
2.97%
Annual Dividend
$6.48
Payout Ratio
57%
5-Yr Growth
19.7%
Ex-Date
Jul 10, 2026
Frequency
Quarterly
Summary
As of September 2026, Darden Restaurants, Inc. (DRI) yields 2.97% ($6.48 per share annually), with a blended fair-value estimate of $219.04 — +1% upside, so it screens as fairly valued. Dividend safety grade: C (55/100). 5 years of dividend growth.
Is DRI a good dividend stock?
MixedDarden Restaurants, Inc. (DRI) pays a quarterly dividend yielding 2.97% ($6.48/yr), with 5 years of growth and a dividend-safety grade of C. The picture is mixed — the dividend pays, but safety or growth signals are weaker than ideal.
Advantages
- Comfortable payout ratio (57%)
- Strong 19.7% 5-yr dividend growth
- 43% total price return over 5 years
Risks
- Cut its dividend in 2021
Key Data
- Dividend Yield
- 2.97%
- Payout Ratio
- 57%
- Annual Dividend
- $6.48
- 5-Yr Avg Growth
- 19.7%
- Ex-Dividend Date
- Jul 10, 2026
- Years of Growth
- 5
- Frequency
- quarterly
- Beta
- 0.59
- Market Cap
- $24.6B
- P/E Ratio
- 20.8
- 5-Yr Total Return
- 43%
- 52-Week Range
- $169.00 – $229.76
- Dividend Safety
- C · 55/100
- Ever Cut?
- Yes (2021)
Frequently Asked Questions
DRI Price — Last 12 Months
Daily close
Price Return
1 Year
+14%
3 Years
+51%
5 Years
+43%
52-Week Range
$169.00 – $229.76
Price change over each period (excludes dividends). Past performance doesn't guarantee future results.
What is DRI worth?
Fairly valuedhigh confidenceOur blended fair-value estimate for Darden Restaurants, Inc. is $219.04 per share, versus a market price of $216.88. That implies the stock is roughly fairly priced.
Fair Value
$219.04
Current Price
$216.88
Gap
+1%
Margin of Safety
1%
How we get there
Discounted cash flow
Discounts projected free cash flow back to today.
Dividend discount
Discounts the future dividend stream back to today.
Earnings multiple (Graham)
Graham's earnings-multiple formula, anchored to bond yields.
At today's price, the market is pricing in about 10.9% annual free-cash-flow growth. We model 10.0% — so the price already assumes faster growth than we think is likely.
Assumptions: 7.2% discount rate (CAPM), 10.0% stage-1 growth, 2.5% terminal growth, $10.43 EPS, $6.48 annual dividend. Updated weekly.
Fair-value estimates are model output for educational purposes only — not investment advice or a price target.
DRI Dividend Safety Score
Borderline
SmarterDividends' proprietary score, backtested against which dividends were actually cut over 15+ years (0.78 AUC). It blends a validated cut-risk model (growth streak, cut history) with current payout, cash-flow and debt. Higher is safer · not investment advice.
Dividend Growth
Total dividends per share by year
Dividend History
| Ex-Date | Pay Date | Amount | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 10, 2026 | — | $1.6200 | regular |
| Apr 10, 2026 | — | $1.5000 | regular |
| Jan 9, 2026 | — | $1.5000 | regular |
| Oct 10, 2025 | — | $1.5000 | regular |
| Jul 10, 2025 | — | $1.5000 | regular |
| Apr 10, 2025 | — | $1.4000 | regular |
| Jan 10, 2025 | — | $1.4000 | regular |
| Oct 10, 2024 | — | $1.4000 | regular |
| Jul 10, 2024 | — | $1.4000 | regular |
| Apr 9, 2024 | — | $1.3100 | regular |
| Jan 9, 2024 | — | $1.3100 | regular |
| Oct 6, 2023 | — | $1.3100 | regular |
| Jul 7, 2023 | — | $1.3100 | regular |
| Apr 6, 2023 | — | $1.2100 | regular |
Income Calculator
At $6.48 / yr per share
