Stock Ratings / Consumer Discretionary / DRI / options

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Darden Restaurants Inc. (DRI) Options Positioning, Max Pain & Unusual Sweeps

$220.17 -0.14% NYSE • Live Quote vs Prior Daily Close (Synced Snapshot) EXT / AFTER-HRS: $219.70

Darden Restaurants Inc. (DRI) carries a Roarable Rating of C (Hold) with 64/100 RQD Confidence. The composite score sits in the neutral Hold band (59–69), meaning current holders don’t need to panic-sell while prospective buyers can wait for a move into the 70+ Buy zone.

📊 Historical Track Record: Scores of 64/100 (C) historically posted market-perform odds over rolling 90-day windows (+1.1% avg 90D alpha vs SPY) →

ROARABLE C • HOLD / WATCH Cap $24.95B

📤 Share Live RQD Speedometer Card: 𝕏 Post Reddit StockTwits ⬇ Live SVG Card

⚡ INSTANT AI QUANT PREVIEW • $0 FREE TIER Click Any Pre-Computed AI Quant Specialist Briefing on DRI Below — or Connect Your Own ChatGPT / Claude

🤖 Mara Quenwick • AI Quant Lead (Click for Instant Brief) Is DRI stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell right now according to Roarable's RQD model?

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As of 2026-11-02, Darden Restaurants Inc. (NYSE: DRI) is rated C (Hold / HOLD) by Roarable's 5-pillar RQD engine with a composite confidence score of 64/100 at a spot price of $220.17 (-0.14% 1D, market cap $24.95B). Pillar breakdown: Fundamental Cash Engine 15/20, Institutional 13F & Options Flow 16/20, Executive Insider Alignment 8/20, FRED Macro Regime Fit 10/20, and SEC Balance-Sheet Forensics 15/20. Across 1011 tracked Consumer Discretionary issuers, DRI ranks #252 in composite RQD confidence.

✓ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief

🤖 Ellis Vennor • AI Peer & Flow Quant (Click for Instant Brief) How does DRI compare to QSR and CMG in the Consumer Discretionary sector?

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Within the Consumer Discretionary sector (Restaurants), DRI carries a Roarable C (64/100 RQD), trailing P/E of 20.7x, gross margin of 20.3%, and ROIC of 19.5%. By comparison, QSR (Restaurant Brands International Inc.) holds a D grade (50/100 RQD, P/E 30.9x, ROIC 12.6%, cap $33.18B) and CMG (Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc.) posts a C+ grade (69/100 RQD, P/E 25.8x, ROIC 30.2%, cap $39.58B). Among the 5-stock peer group, YUMC leads on earnings multiple (16.7x) while CMG leads on capital efficiency (30.2% ROIC).

✓ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief

🤖 Gideon Ashmere • AI SEC 10-K Forensics (Click for Instant Brief) What are the biggest fundamental strengths and SEC risk factors for DRI?

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Per DRI's SEC EDGAR XBRL 10-K filing (FY2025, filed 2026-05-31, CIK 0000940944), Darden Restaurants Inc. generated $13.21B in revenue (+9.4% YoY), $1.21B in net income, and $0 in free cash flow against $12.94B in total assets and $4.89B in total debt. Key quantitative strengths: Strong cash generator (20% profit margin)—profits are backed by real money, not accounting tricks.. Primary risk factors monitored: Sensitive to high interest rates and tighter Federal Reserve market liquidity.. Institutional options positioning shows a 50% call / 50% put premium split.

✓ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief

🤖 AI Quant Disclosure: Roarable Analysts are proprietary AI Quant Specialists — not human financial advisors. Pre-computed one-to-many briefings above are free; interactive 1-on-1 Q&A, custom AI sifting/indicator alerts, and personal ChatGPT/Claude MCP connections require a $9.95/mo Pro account (currently waitlist-only).

INTERACTIVE SCENARIO DECK:

🛡️ Portfolio Crash X-Ray

EXT / AFTER-HRS: $219.69 (-0.22%)🧬 Cannibal Buyback (-2.08% YoY Shares)⚙️ Cash Engine: 15/20 (B) • 4.9% FCF Margin

Verify 90D Bucket Audit →

📊 Historical Track Record: Scores of 64/100 (C) historically posted market-perform odds over rolling 90-day windows (+1.1% avg 90D alpha vs SPY • 55.2% hit rate — wait for RQD ≥ 70 breakout).

Audit Bucket Track Record →

RQD QUANT TACHOMETERHOLD / WATCH • C

2-of-3 JEV AI Jury Bullish

Cash

SEC

Whale

Impersonal quantitative research (0–100 RQD rubric) — not individualized investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Full Disclaimer

5-PILLAR SNOWFLAKE RADARRw B+ · Rk D

Each axis scored 0–20

12M PRICE TARGET CONE+2.7% Base Target

WHALE OPTIONS SNAPSHOT: — (No Active Options Snapshot on file for DRI)Realized 20D OHLCV Swing Band: ±4.7%

Deterministic 5-Pillar Attribution (64/100 Composite)

🔍 WHY DRI SCORES 64/100 (C) — TOP 3 DRIVERS2 Bullish Pillars + #1 Risk Drag

▲ #1 Bullish Driver: Whale & Options Positioning+16/20 pts (25% of score)

20D Institutional Volume Accumulation (±4.7% realized swing band)

▲ #2 Bullish Driver: Cash Engine Quality+15/20 pts (23% of score)

SEC XBRL FY 2025 (10-K): 4.9% FCF Margin ($641.1M FCF) & 20.3% Gross Margin

▼ #1 Drag / Risk Factor: SEC 10-K Forensic Risk8/20 pts (-12 pt drag)

Balance-sheet & 10-K footnote risk deducts 12 pts from forensic ceiling

📈 PAST 4 QUARTERS RQD vs SUBSEQUENT RETURNQ1 → Q2 → Q3 → Current

Q1 (-3Q)

Grade C$205.60+6% Next Q

Q2 (-2Q)

Grade C$217.99-1.8% Next Q

Q3 (-1Q)

Grade C$213.96+2.9% Next Q

Current

Grade C$220.17+1.1% Hist 90D α

Trajectory: C (56) → C (64)Full Audit →

⚔️ ADVERSARIAL OPPOSING CASE & FORENSIC KILL-SWITCH (WHY THE BULL/BEAR THESIS COULD FAIL)GIDEON ASHMERE // FORENSIC SHORT & KILL-SWITCH DOSSIER

⚔️ Adversarial Opposing Case: Why the DRI Bull Thesis Could Fail

Gideon Ashmere Forensic Desk →

Even with a 64/100 (C) score, DRI faces multiple-compression risk if 20.7x trailing P/E re-rate toward historical sector medians or if hyperscaler/enterprise customer concentration slows in upcoming 10-Q filings.

⚠️ Forensic Kill-Switch #1

Sensitive to high interest rates and tighter Federal Reserve market liquidity.

⚠️ Forensic Kill-Switch #2

Recent SEC filings added new risk-factor disclosures that warrant keeping an eye on margins.

⚠️ Forensic Kill-Switch #3

Technical & Forensic Kill-Switch: A daily close below the 50D SMA ($210.44) or 200D SMA ($205.78) invalidates the momentum regime and cuts Target Base ($226.11) toward Bear Floor ($176.37).

🎲 LIVE PREDICTION MARKET ODDS TIED TO $DRI• $2.4M Crowd Pool • Kalshi / Polymarket Composite

Contract: “DRI Beats Next Quarter EPS Consensus (Nov 29, 2026) & Holds Above 200D SMA”

YES 64%NO 36%Trade / Inspect Odds →

CALL VS. PUT WHALE SHARE

— (No Active Options Snapshot)

Put/Call Ratio: — (No Active Options Snapshot)

MAX-PAIN EXPIRATION MAGNET

— (No Active Options Snapshot)

No active options chain max-pain snapshot on file

HISTORICAL 20D VOLATILITY SWING

±4.7%

Derived from 20D OHLCV bars (No Active Options Snapshot)

Active Strike Call vs. Put Concentration Ladder (DRI)

— (No Active Options Snapshot) — No unusual CBOE strike concentration anomalies recorded in the current database snapshot for DRI.

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ON-DEMAND RQD QUANT WORKSHOP • SPONSORED / PARTNER SPOTLIGHTHosted by Perry Belcher + Options & Swing Structure Desk

Whale Flow & Momentum Playbook: Evaluating DRI & AI Leaders Without Chasing Tops

✓Institutional whale strikes & implied earnings move audit on DRI
✓How disciplined traders manage risk using pre-published trigger & invalidation levels
✓Includes nightly RQD rating-change & forensic signal email alerts on tracked leaders

RQD INSIDER CLUB WAITLIST$49/YR PLANNED

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DRI // CANDLESTICK & AUTO-TRENDLINE WORKSTATION6M: +14.62%📐 HORIZONTAL RANGE

2026-11-02O $216.6H $220.5L $216.6C $220.2VOL 797.8K

RES: $224.2SUP: $193.3SMA50: $210.4SMA200: $205.8

PRIMARY-SOURCE FORENSICS, SECOND-ORDER LINKS & AI ANALYST DESK

DRI Dilution Monitor, Expectations Hurdle, Butterfly Connections & Policy Exposure

🦋 DRI Butterfly Map → + Track DRI →

Share Count & Dilution Monitor (#25)

Multi-year comparable XBRL diluted share count not disclosed (ETF or recent listing).

Reverse-DCF Expectations Hurdle (#30)

14.3%/yr Implied 5Y Growth

vs. +9.4% actual YoY revenue growth (assuming 9.25% cost of equity & 16.5x terminal multiple).

Ellis Vennor Setup Ledger (#33)

No active Ellis Vennor swing setup published on DRI today. View full Setup Ledger →

🦋 Documented & Second-Order Butterfly Connections Open Graph →

No direct multi-tier Butterfly edges indexed yet for DRI. Explore sector supply chains on /butterfly.

AI Analyst Theses, Washington Policy & Company Video

🎬 No recent verified company-specific video clip queued for DRI today (we never pad ticker pages with unrelated generic clips). Browse Macro Video Desk →

DETERMINISTIC MULTI-FACTOR EQUITY AUDIT • SEC EDGAR XBRL × RQD PEER BENCHMARK

📊 Quantitative Sector Peer Comparison, SEC Filing Delta & Investment FAQ (DRI)

Consumer Discretionary Rank #252 of 1011 ⚔️ QSR vs DRI Full Matrix →

1. Head-to-Head Consumer Discretionary Peer Comparison (DRI vs. QSR, CMG, YUMC, ARMK)

Industry: Restaurants (51 Tracked Issuers)

Across 1011 tracked Consumer Discretionary securities in the Roarable RQD universe, Darden Restaurants Inc. (DRI) ranks #252 by composite RQD confidence (64/100, grade C) and #82 by equity capitalization ($24.95B). Within this direct 5-issuer industry benchmark cohort, YUMC leads on earnings valuation at 16.7x trailing P/E, while CMG leads on capital efficiency and profitability with 30.2% ROIC and — gross margin. YUMC currently holds the highest overall quantitative score in the immediate peer group at 71/100 (B-) compared with DRI at 64/100 (C).

Ticker / Company	Roarable Grade	RQD Score	Trailing P/E	Gross Margin	ROIC	1D Change	Market Cap	Head-to-Head
DRI ACTIVE Darden Restaurants Inc.	C	64/100	20.7x	20.3%	19.5%	-0.14%	$24.95B	Benchmark Subject
QSR Restaurant Brands International Inc.	D	50/100	30.9x	—	12.6%	-0.82%	$33.18B	/qsr-vs-dri →
CMG Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc.	C+	69/100	25.8x	—	30.2%	+1.95%	$39.58B	/cmg-vs-dri →
YUMC Yum China Holdings Inc.	B-	71/100	16.7x	—	14.9%	+1.28%	$15.48B	/yumc-vs-dri →
ARMK Aramark	C	64/100	45.2x	—	11.4%	-3.68%	$14.77B	/armk-vs-dri →

2. Multi-Year SEC XBRL Revenue, Cash Flow & Balance-Sheet Trajectory (FY2023–FY2025)

SEC EDGAR 10-K • FILED 2026-05-31 • CIK 0000940944

In its most recent audited fiscal period (FY2025, filed 2026-05-31), Darden Restaurants Inc. (DRI) reported GAAP revenue of $13.21B (+9.4% vs. FY2024 revenue of $12.08B , and +16.0% cumulative change since FY2023) , GAAP net income of $1.21B, operating cash flow of $0, and free cash flow of $0 . On the balance sheet, DRI closed FY2025 with $12.94B in total assets against $4.89B in total debt (Altman Z-Score: 2.63, Piotroski F-Score: 6/9).

Fiscal Period	Filing Date	Revenue	Net Income	Operating Cash Flow	Free Cash Flow	Total Assets	Total Debt
FY2025 (FY)	2026-05-31	$13.21B	$1.21B	—	—	$12.94B	$4.89B
FY2024 (FY)	2025-05-25	$12.08B	$1.05B	—	—	$12.94B	$4.70B
FY2023 (FY)	2024-05-26	$11.39B	$1.03B	—	—	$13.72B	$3.21B

3. DRI Data-Verified Investor FAQ (RQD Rating, Sector Peers, SEC Forensics & Technicals)

✓ SCHEMA.ORG FAQPAGE JSON-LD ENABLED

Is DRI stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell right now according to Roarable's RQD model?

How does DRI compare to QSR and CMG in the Consumer Discretionary sector?

What are the biggest fundamental strengths and SEC risk factors for DRI?

Where is DRI trading relative to its 50-day, 200-day, and 52-week technical levels?

DRI last traded at $220.17 (-0.14% on volume of 772,227 shares), positioning the stock +4.62% above its 50-day simple moving average ($210.44) and +6.99% above its 200-day simple moving average ($205.78). Across its 52-week range of $169.00 to $229.76, DRI sits at the 84.2% percentile with a 14-day RSI of 62.6 (BULLISH MOMENTUM) and an implied next-earnings move of ±4.7% ($209.82 to $230.52).

DRI Investor FAQ & Complete 8-Part Research Index

100% OPEN ACCESS • SEC EDGAR × CBOE × FRED

What is DRI's options positioning and volatility profile?

Roarable tracks verified CBOE unusual options sweeps, put/call ratios, and OHLCV realized volatility bands for DRI.

Direct Sub-Reports: DRI RQD Cockpit DRI 12M Forecast DRI Earnings & Move DRI Dividends & DRIP DRI Insiders & 13F DRI Whale Options DRI Profit Sankey DRI News & Why

ROARABLE RATING BRIEF • RQD 64/100 (C) ✓ STAGE-C NUMBER FIREWALL VERIFIED

DRI — Darden Restaurants Inc.: What the Facts Mean to a Prospective Investor

Engine: anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5

As of: 2026-11-02T15:12:55Z

Roarable Rating Brief: What This Means to a Prospective Investor

Per the Roarable RQD rating, DRI scores 64 out of 100, a letter grade of C, with the verdict "Roarable Hold — Fair / Balanced Risk-Reward." The five pillars are:

Fundamental Cash Engine: 15 / 20. Per the RQD rating, this pillar reflects ROIC of 19.5% and an FCF yield of 2.57%. High return on invested capital is a constructive signal, while a 2.57% FCF yield implies the market is paying a moderate multiple for each dollar of free cash flow.
Whale 13F Flow: 16 / 20. Per the RQD rating, this pillar reflects institutional accumulation and options positioning. It is the strongest pillar, suggesting institutional interest is supportive, though the underlying 13F detail is not present in the source data.
Insider Conviction: 15 / 20. Per the RQD rating, this pillar reflects SEC Form 4 and Congressional PTR cluster flow. It is a moderate score; the news wire separately references a Form 4-type sale by a group president, which the rating does not itemize.
Macro Regime Fit: 10 / 20. Per the RQD rating, this pillar reflects a beta of 0.93 and sector sensitivity. A beta below 1.0 indicates the stock has historically moved somewhat less than the broader market, which can cushion drawdowns but limits participation in strong rallies.
Forensic Balance Sheet: 8 / 20. Per the RQD rating, this pillar reflects an Altman Z-Score of 2.63, a Piotroski F-Score of 6/9, and Debt/Equity of 2.19. This is the weakest pillar and the main source of balance-sheet risk for a prospective investor, given the high leverage ratio.

Taken together, the rating points to a business with strong operating returns and institutional support, offset by leverage and a valuation that leaves limited margin for error. Upside drivers are returns on capital and the institutional flow signal; the main valuation tradeoff is a 20.7 trailing P/E and 13.3 EV/EBITDA against a 2.57% FCF yield. The balanced verdict reflects these competing forces rather than a directional call.

Snapshot

Price	Market Cap	P/E (TTM)	Forward P/E	EV/EBITDA	EPS (TTM)	Dividend Yield	Beta	52-Wk Range	ROIC %
$220.48	$24.95B	20.7	19.3	13.3	10.67	2.78%	0.93	$169 - $229.76	19.5%

Business

Darden Restaurants Inc. is a NYSE-listed issuer in the Consumer Discretionary sector and Restaurants industry, per the company profile. Per the SEC financials, the company generated FY 2025 revenue of $13210.9M. Specific product lines, customer segments, and revenue-generation mechanics are not available in source data.

Recent Catalysts & News Wire Analysis

Per the recent news section, six items reference DRI, each flagged YELLOW under the MARKET WIRE impact label:

A Yahoo Finance UK market-action report covering institutional positioning and fundamental catalysts.
An Investing.com report on a group president's sale of stock valued at $447,565, a notable insider transaction.
Benzinga, 24/7 Wall St., and ChartMill items comparing DRI to peers and characterizing it as a high-ROIC restaurant operator.
A Yahoo Finance report suggesting the stock could be undervalued relative to its dividend update.

Per the Butterfly Supply-Chain Graph, the supply-chain status is NONE, with no butterfly links and no proprietary signals. Risk watch items drawn from the news are the insider sale and the leverage flagged in the forensic pillar; the news items themselves contain only summary language and do not provide detailed catalyst content.

Butterfly Effect: 2nd-Order Supply-Chain & Sector Ripples

Per the Butterfly Supply-Chain Graph, supply_chain is NONE and butterfly_links is empty, so no upstream or downstream dependencies are mapped. Sector correlations and second-order bottlenecks are not available in source data. A prospective investor should note that the sector is Consumer Discretionary and the industry is Restaurants, and that the company's debt levels (per the SEC financials) are a potential transmission channel if credit conditions tighten, though the source data does not quantify this linkage.

Open Questions

What are the itemized 13F holdings and their recent changes, since the rating cites accumulation but the holders section is empty?
What is the free cash flow figure for each period, since FCF is listed as N/A in every reported period?
What are the EPS figures by fiscal year, since EPS is listed as N/A across all three periods?
What is the FY 2023 cash balance, and how does the debt trajectory relate to the company's capital allocation and dividend policy?
What analyst consensus, price targets, and details of the insider sale referenced in the news are available to test the rating's conclusions?

DRI Live News Feed, Press Releases & Catalyst Wire

Real-time company headlines, analyst actions, and sector developments for Darden Restaurants Inc. (DRI) • Click "Debate This Headline" to argue it in the Roar Pit below

💬 Jump to DRI Debate Forum (3) ↓

🟡 MARKET WIRE Yahoo Finance UK • 8h ago

Darden Restaurants, Inc. (DRI) stock price, news, quote and history

Yahoo Finance UK report covering Darden Restaurants Inc. (DRI) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟡 MARKET WIRE Investing.com • 11h ago

Darden restaurants group president Martin sells $447,565 in stock

Investing.com report covering Darden Restaurants Inc. (DRI) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟡 MARKET WIRE Benzinga • 14h ago

Darden Restaurants Inc (DRI) Stock Price, Quote, News & History

Benzinga report covering Darden Restaurants Inc. (DRI) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟡 MARKET WIRE 24/7 Wall St. • 17h ago

Darden vs. McDonald’s: Which Restaurant Stock Is the Better Buy for Income Investors

24/7 Wall St. report covering Darden Restaurants Inc. (DRI) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟡 MARKET WIRE ChartMill • 20h ago

Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI): A Quality Investing Look at a High-ROIC Restaurant Operator

ChartMill report covering Darden Restaurants Inc. (DRI) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟡 MARKET WIRE Yahoo Finance • 23h ago

Darden Restaurants (DRI) Could Be 14% Undervalued On Its Dividend Update

Yahoo Finance report covering Darden Restaurants Inc. (DRI) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟡 MARKET WIRE MarketBeat • 1d ago

Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE:DRI) Stock Now Rated "Moderate Buy" by Wall Street Analysts

MarketBeat report covering Darden Restaurants Inc. (DRI) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟡 MARKET WIRE Simply Wall St • 1d ago

Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI) Stock Forecast & Analyst Predictions

Simply Wall St report covering Darden Restaurants Inc. (DRI) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🔥 THE ROAR PIT • LIVE COMMUNITY DEBATE 3 Active Posts & Replies

DRI Bull vs. Bear Conversation Board — What's Your Call at $220.17?

🐂 50% BULLISH CONVICTION COMMUNITY TUG-OF-WAR ON DRI 🐻 50% BEARISH CONVICTION

RO RoarDesk_Moderator Roarable Research Desk ⚖️ DEBATE HOST 🎯 Target: $238.12 (+8.0%)

📌 Pinned Debate

🔥 Official Bull vs. Bear Debate: Is DRI (C • RQD 64/100) a Buy at $220.48?

Welcome to the DRI (Darden Restaurants Inc.) Roar Pit. Current RQD Composite is 64/100 (Roarable Hold — Fair / Balanced Risk-Reward) in Restaurants. Bulls point to capital efficiency (19.5% ROIC), while bears focus on macro rate sensitivity and margin execution. Pick your side (🐂 Bull or 🐻 Bear) and drop your price target below.

SK SkepticalCFA Forensic Accounting Watch 🐻 BEARISH 🎯 Target: $169.77 (-23.0%)

Spot @ $220.48

Pump the brakes on DRI — check the valuation vs. margin headwinds

Everyone in here is repeating the bull case on DRI, but look at what you are paying: 20.7x trailing P/E with 20.3% gross margins. Unless Darden Restaurants Inc. expands free cash flow yield next quarter, I would rather wait for a pullback closer to the 200-day moving average before touching this.

CA CashFlowKing Verified K Arena Trader 🐂 BULLISH 🎯 Target: $255.76 (+16.0%)

Spot @ $220.48

DRI cash flow & RQD setup is being underpriced by the Street here

Looking at the 5-pillar RQD breakdown on DRI, the market is fixating on short-term headline noise in Restaurants and ignoring the balance sheet and cash flow trajectory. At $220.48 (52-wk range $169.00 - $229.76), any beat on forward guidance forces shorts and underweight funds to chase.