DRI (Darden Restaurants) Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF: $122.67 (As of Sep. 16, 2026)

Author: Vera Yuan Vera Yuan
Vera Yuan
Vera Yuan
Director of Data and Quant Analytics at GuruFocus
Focused on building reliable datasets, financial models, and research tools for value-minded investors. Committed to turning complex data into practical guidance for value-investing and long-term wealth.
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Charlie Tian
Founder & CEO of GuruFocus
Dr. Charlie Tian is the founder and CEO of GuruFocus.com, a leading global investment research platform established in 2004. With a Ph.D. in physics, Dr. Tian transitioned from science to finance, applying a data-driven, disciplined approach to value investing.

DRI Darden Restaurants Inc DRI
85 GF Score
Price $210.12
GF Value $211.62
Valuation Fairly Valued
! 5 Warning Signs
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What is Darden Restaurants Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF?

Darden Restaurants DRI +0.48% 85 Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF is $122.67 as of Sep. 16, 2026. GuruFocus rates DRI with a GF Score™ of 85/100 and a GF Value™ of $211.62 (Fairly Valued). The stock has 5 warning signs investors should review. Among 239 Restaurants companies, Darden Restaurants ranks worse than 67.36% on this metric.

Since the intrinsic value calculations based on Discounted Cash Flow Intrinsic Value: DCF (FCF Based), or Discounted Earnings Intrinsic Value: DCF (Earnings Based) cannot be applied to companies without consistent revenue and earnings, GuruFocus developed a valuation model based on normalized Free Cash Flow and Book Value of the company. The details of how we calculate the intrinsic value of stocks are described in detail here.

As of today (2026-09-16), Darden Restaurants's Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF is $122.67. The stock price of Darden Restaurants is $210.12. Therefore, Darden Restaurants's Price-to-Intrinsic-Value-Projected-FCF of today is 1.7.

The historical rank and industry rank for Darden Restaurants's Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF or its related term are showing as below:

DRI' s Price-to-Projected-FCF Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 1.54   Med: 2.08   Max: 2.43
Current: 1.71

During the past 13 years, the highest Price-to-Intrinsic-Value-Projected-FCF of Darden Restaurants was 2.43. The lowest was 1.54. And the median was 2.08.

DRI's Price-to-Projected-FCF is ranked worse than
67.36% of 239 companies
in the Restaurants industry
Industry Median: 1.03 vs DRI: 1.71

Darden Restaurants  (NYSE:DRI) Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF Explanation

The growth multiple is capped between 8.35 and 17.74.

Total Stockholders Equity weighting is more art than science and it should always be revisited in more detail when researching a company. Weightings from 0% to 100% to more than 100% are possible. 80% was chosen as a happy median after taking the above ideas into consideration.

Darden Restaurants's Price-to-Intrinsic-Value-Projected-FCF for today is calculated as

Price-to-Intrinsic-Value-Projected-FCF=Share Price/Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF
=210.12/123.42042843943
=1.70

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.


Darden Restaurants Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF Related Terms


Darden Restaurants Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for Darden Restaurants's Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF can be seen below:

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

Darden Restaurants Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF Chart

Darden Restaurants Annual Data
Trend May17 May18 May19 May20 May21 May22 May23 May24 May25 May26
Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 64.40 78.52 100.91 120.93 128.98

Darden Restaurants Quarterly Data
Aug21 Nov21 Feb22 May22 Aug22 Nov22 Feb23 May23 Aug23 Nov23 Feb24 May24 Aug24 Nov24 Feb25 May25 Aug25 Nov25 Feb26 May26
Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

DRI vs YUMC, TXRH, DPZ: Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF Comparison

For the Restaurants subindustry, Darden Restaurants's Price-to-Projected-FCF, along with its competitors' market caps and Price-to-Projected-FCF data, can be viewed below:

* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.


Darden Restaurants Price-to-Projected-FCF vs Restaurants Industry

For the Restaurants industry and Consumer Cyclical sector, Darden Restaurants's Price-to-Projected-FCF distribution charts can be found below:

* The bar in red indicates where Darden Restaurants's Price-to-Projected-FCF falls into.


DRI
85GF Score
Darden Restaurants Inc DRI
Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
View Full Analysis

Darden Restaurants Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF Calculation

Since the intrinsic value calculations based on Discounted Cash Flow Intrinsic Value: DCF (FCF Based), or Discounted Earnings Intrinsic Value: DCF (Earnings Based) cannot be applied to companies without consistent revenue and earnings, GuruFocus developed a valuation model based on normalized Free Cash Flow and Book Value of the company.

The details of how we calculate the intrinsic value of stocks are described in detail here.

This method smooths out the free cash flow over the past 6-7 years, multiplies the results by a growth multiple, and adds a portion of Total Stockholders Equity.

Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF = ( Growth Multiple * Free Cash Flow (6 year avg) + 0.8 * Total Stockholders Equity (most recent) ) / Shares Outstanding (Diluted Average)

In the case of negative Total Stockholders Equity, the following formula is used (see Explanation section below for the reason):

Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF = ( Growth Multiple * Free Cash Flow (6 year avg) + Total Stockholders Equity (most recent) / 0.8 ) / Shares Outstanding (Diluted Average)


Add all the Free Cash Flow together and divide 6 will get Darden Restaurants's Free Cash Flow(6 year avg) = $891.10.

Darden Restaurants's Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF for today is calculated as

Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF=(Growth Multiple*Free Cash Flow (6 year avg)+Total Stockholders Equity (May26)*0.8)/Shares Outstanding (Diluted Average)
=(13.973715027901*891.104+2207.5*0.8)/115.2
=123.42

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

What does a Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF of $122.67 mean?
Darden Restaurants (DRI) has a Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF of $122.67 as of Sep. 16, 2026. Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF is the stock value based on a projected free cash flow model. View historical data on Darden Restaurants and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Darden Restaurants ranks #161 out of 239 companies in the Restaurants industry, placing it in the top 67.4%.
Is Darden Restaurants' Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF too high?
Darden Restaurants' current Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF is $122.67. The Restaurants industry median Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF is 1.03. Darden Restaurants' value of $122.67 is 11809.7% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Darden Restaurants ranks #161 out of 239 companies in the Restaurants industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, Darden Restaurants has a GF Score™ of 85/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Darden Restaurants' Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF compare to YUMC and TXRH?
According to the Restaurants industry distribution chart, Darden Restaurants ranks #161 out of 239 companies for Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF. This places Darden Restaurants in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF is 1.03. Darden Restaurants' value of $122.67 is 11809.7% above this benchmark. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF for a Restaurants company?
The median Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF among Restaurants companies is 1.03, based on 239 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Darden Restaurants's current Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF of $122.67 is 11809.7% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF mean?
A high Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF is the stock value based on a projected free cash flow model. View historical data on Darden Restaurants and its competitors. For the Restaurants industry, the median Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF is 1.03 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Darden Restaurants's current Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF is $122.67. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Darden Restaurants stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Darden Restaurants (DRI) is currently considered Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is $211.62, compared to a current price of $210.12 — trading 0.7% below its estimated fair value. The current Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF is $122.67 and 11809.7% above the Restaurants industry median of 1.03. Darden Restaurants' overall GF Score™ is 85/100 with 5 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF calculated?
Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Darden Restaurants (DRI), the current Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF is $122.67 as of Sep. 16, 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.

Is Darden Restaurants (DRI) Overvalued in 2026?

Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Darden Restaurants stock appears to be undervalued. The current stock price of $210.12 is trading 0.7% below its estimated GF Value™ of $211.62. GuruFocus considers Darden Restaurants to be Fairly Valued.

Key valuation signals for DRI:

  • Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF: $122.67
  • GF Value™: $211.62 vs. price of $210.12 (0.7% below fair value)
  • GF Score™: 85/100 with 5 warning signs
  • Industry Position: 11809.7% above the Restaurants median (#161 of 239)

No single metric tells the full story. See the DRI stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.


Darden Restaurants Business Description

Address 1000 Darden Center Drive, Orlando, FL, USA, 32837
Darden Restaurants is the largest global full-service dining operator, with over $12 billion in system sales across 2,159 company-owned stores at the end of fiscal 2025, spanning the US and Canada. The firm operates 10 banners in four segments, including Olive Garden (43% of sales), LongHorn Steakhouse (25%), and fine dining (21%), which includes The Capital Grille, Ruth's Chris, and Eddie V's. The other 11% of sales comes from smaller concepts such as Yard House and Cheddar's. Darden primarily generates revenue through sales of food and beverage items at its company-owned restaurants. It also earns royalties on sales from 154 franchised locations in US and international markets, which sit within the other segment but are immaterial to consolidated results.
85GF Score

Get the complete analysis for DRI

Intrinsic Value: Projected FCF is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.

$210.12
Price
$211.62
GF Value