Darden price target lowered to $165 from $175 at BMO Capital

BMO Capital analyst Andrew Strelzik lowered the firm’s price target on Darden (DRI) to $165 from $175 and keeps a Market Perform rating on the shares ahead of its Q2 results next week. The firm sees risk to consensus EPS for the quarter and beyond, as well as FY25 guidance, as comps across portfolio remain pressured, the analyst tells investors in a research note. BMO adds that it continues to expect only modest lifts from Olive Garden’s Uber (UBER) partnership in the coming quarters while noting that Darden warrants a “modest valuation discount” vs. history given the company’s softer relative comp performance relative to the industry.