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Data last updated: Sep 06, 2026
Snapshot (as of Sep 06, 2026): Darden Restaurants, Inc. (DRI) pays a $6.12 annual dividend ($1.62 quarterly), yielding 2.82% at $216.88/share. Next ex-dividend date 2026-07-10. 5 consecutive years of dividend growth. Source: Yahoo Finance, aggregated by MerryDiv.
Dividend Yield: 2.82%
Annual Dividend: $6.12 per share
Payout Ratio: 57.4%
Ex-Dividend Date: 2026-07-10
Dividend Frequency: quarterly
Sector: Consumer Cyclical
Years of Dividend History: 31
Darden Restaurants, Inc. dividend income comes from one of the largest full-service restaurant operators in North America, running nearly 1,900 locations under brands including Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, and The Capital Grille. The current yield is 2.82%, with a trailing annual dividend rate of $6.12 per share paid quarterly. The next ex-dividend date is July 10, 2026, with the last quarterly payment at $1.62 per share. A beta of 0.59 means DRI stock moves materially less than the broader market, which suits income investors who prioritize lower price volatility.
Darden Restaurants, Inc. pays out 57.4% of earnings as dividends, a payout ratio classified as moderate (40–60%). That level leaves a meaningful buffer of retained earnings, supported by a portfolio of nearly 1,900 directly operated restaurants generating ongoing dining revenue across the U.S. and Canada. Darden Restaurants, Inc. dividend safety faces its primary pressure from the Consumer Cyclical sector classification: full-service dining demand can contract during economic downturns, which would directly pressure the earnings base that funds the payout.
Darden Restaurants, Inc. dividend history shows a CAGR of 11.5% per year from 2010 to 2025. The per-share annual dividend grew from $1.14 to $5.80 over that period (2026 is a partial year and excluded from the growth calculation). The largest annual increase in the window was 33.9% in 2022, while 2015 and 2016 saw the dividend flat or slightly lower, showing that growth has not been linear. At 11.5% annually, the dividend has roughly doubled every six to seven years, which is a meaningful pace for income investors focused on purchasing power over time.
| Period | CAGR | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-Year | +7.9% | $4.62 (2022) | $5.80 (2025) |
| 5-Year | +37.5% | $1.18 (2020) | $5.80 (2025) |
| 10-Year | +10.2% | $2.20 (2015) | $5.80 (2025) |
DRI stock fits dividend investors who want a moderate yield paired with above-average dividend growth from a large, established restaurant operator. The current yield of 2.82% sits above the 5-year average of 2.24%, meaning today's entry point offers more income than the historical norm. The yield classification is moderate (2–4%), so this is not a high-income play in absolute terms. The trade-off is clear: investors get a 57.4% payout ratio that leaves room for continued increases, and a five-year streak of consecutive raises, but the Consumer Cyclical sector means the payout is tied to discretionary spending, not a necessity-driven revenue base.
| Payment Date | Amount per Share |
|---|---|
| 2026-07-10 | $1.6200 |
| 2026-04-10 | $1.5000 |
| 2026-01-09 | $1.5000 |
| 2025-10-10 | $1.5000 |
| 2025-07-10 | $1.5000 |
| 2025-04-10 | $1.4000 |
| 2025-01-10 | $1.4000 |
| 2024-10-10 | $1.4000 |
| 2024-07-10 | $1.4000 |
| 2024-04-09 | $1.3100 |
| Year | Total Dividends |
|---|---|
| 2026 | $4.6200 |
| 2025 | $5.8000 |
| 2024 | $5.4200 |
| 2023 | $5.0400 |
| 2022 | $4.6200 |
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