Buyback yield (TTM)
2.36%
Shareholder yield (TTM)
5.12%
5Y share count change
-3.5%
Buyback spend (TTM)
$585.40M
Cumulative buybacks
$7.96B
Key takeaways
- Darden Restaurants (DRI) repurchased about $585.40M of stock over the trailing twelve months.
- Diluted share count is down 3.5% over the last ~5 fiscal years — buybacks are net-shrinking the share base.
- TTM buyback ÷ stock-based-comp ratio of 7.22× — repurchases more than cover SBC dilution.
- Cash buyback spend has compounded at +4.8% per year over the latest 5-year window.
- TTM repurchases used about 67% of free cash flow remaining after dividends.
Dividend & buyback yield over time for Darden Restaurants (DRI)
Stacked annual yields — buyback yield (TTM cash repurchases ÷ market cap) plus dividend yield from the same fiscal-year-end key-metrics period — show how total cash return per dollar of equity has evolved.
Diluted vs basic shares (annual) for Darden Restaurants (DRI)
Diluted weighted-average shares are the EPS denominator — a falling count means buybacks are outpacing SBC dilution.
Year-over-year change in diluted shares for Darden Restaurants (DRI)
Green is fewer shares vs the prior fiscal year (net repurchase); red is growth (dilution). The earliest year shown has no prior year to compare.
Cash buyback spend over time for Darden Restaurants (DRI)
Latest: $418.20M
Overview
In 2025, Darden Restaurants (DRI) buyback spend totalled $418.20M – declined 7.9% year-over-year.
Darden Restaurants buyback spend compound annual growth for the 2020–2025 (5 years) window is +4.8%, with mixed annual results across the window.
Darden Restaurants buyback spend peaked at $1.07B in 2022; the latest annual figure is $418.20M in 2025 (61.0% below peak).
2022 marks the peak buyback spend at $1.07B, with the historical low of $0.00 recorded in 1995.
Darden Restaurants Buyback Spend 2025: $418.20M
In 2025, Darden Restaurants reported buyback spend of $418.20M, declined 7.9% below 2024.
Darden Restaurants Buyback Spend 2024: $453.90M
Darden Restaurants buyback spend in 2024 was $453.90M, edged down 1.0% below 2023.
Darden Restaurants Buyback Spend 2023: $458.70M
2023's buyback spend for Darden Restaurants came in at $458.70M, plunged 57.2% below 2022.
Darden Restaurants Buyback Spend 2022: $1.07B
Darden Restaurants posted buyback spend of $1.07B in 2022, surged 2259.7% from 2021. This figure represents the highest annual value in the available history.
Darden Restaurants Buyback Spend 2021: $45.40M
Darden Restaurants buyback spend in 2021 was $45.40M.
See more financial history for Darden Restaurants (DRI).
Buyback, SBC & dilution history
Buyback spend, SBC, net dilution effect, and share count.
| 2025 | $418.20M | $79.10M | $339.10M | 1.75% | 0.12B | -2.0% | |
| 2024 | $453.90M | $68.50M | $385.40M | 2.58% | 0.12B | -1.7% | |
| 2023 | $458.70M | $67.50M | $391.20M | 2.39% | 0.12B | -4.7% | |
| 2022 | $1.07B | $60.50M | $1.01B | 5.81% | 0.13B | -2.1% | |
| 2021 | $45.40M | $72.40M | −$27.00M | 0.25% | 0.13B | +7.4% | |
| 2020 | $330.30M | $53.00M | $277.30M | 3.39% | 0.12B | -2.2% | |
| 2019 | $207.50M | $59.80M | $147.70M | 1.45% | 0.13B | -0.5% | |
| 2018 | $234.80M | $42.80M | $192.00M | 2.17% | 0.13B | 0.0% | |
| 2017 | $230.20M | $40.70M | $189.50M | 2.07% | 0.13B | -2.6% | |
| 2016 | $184.80M | $37.30M | $147.50M | 2.16% | 0.13B | -0.3% | |
| 2015 | $502.30M | $53.70M | $448.60M | 6.75% | 0.13B | -2.6% | |
| 2014 | $500.00K | $46.80M | −$46.30M | 0.01% | 0.13B | +1.2% | |
| 2013 | $52.40M | $49.30M | $3.10M | 0.87% | 0.13B | -1.2% | |
| 2012 | $375.10M | $46.70M | $328.40M | 6.30% | 0.13B | -5.1% | |
| 2011 | $385.50M | $66.60M | $318.90M | 6.31% | 0.14B | -1.5% | |
| 2010 | $85.10M | $53.50M | $31.60M | 1.57% | 0.14B | +1.4% | |
| 2009 | $144.90M | $41.50M | $103.40M | 3.13% | 0.14B | -3.2% | |
| 2008 | $159.40M | $0.00 | $159.40M | 3.76% | 0.15B | -2.5% | |
| 2007 | $371.20M | $0.00 | $371.20M | 6.48% | 0.15B | -5.2% | |
| 2006 | $434.20M | $0.00 | $434.20M | 9.35% | 0.16B | -4.0% | |
| 2005 | $311.69M | $0.00 | $311.69M | 6.91% | 0.16B | -3.7% | |
| 2004 | $235.46M | $0.00 | $235.46M | 7.34% | 0.17B | -4.3% | |
| 2003 | $213.31M | $0.00 | $213.31M | 7.16% | 0.18B | -3.3% | |
| 2002 | $208.58M | $0.00 | $208.58M | 5.09% | 0.18B | -1.1% | |
| 2001 | $176.51M | $0.00 | $176.51M | 6.00% | 0.19B | -6.1% | |
| 2000 | $202.10M | $0.00 | $202.10M | — | 0.20B | -7.1% | |
| 1999 | $227.50M | $0.00 | $227.50M | — | 0.21B | -6.3% | |
| 1998 | $170.70M | $0.00 | $170.70M | — | 0.23B | -1.8% | |
| 1997 | $44.10M | $0.00 | $44.10M | — | 0.23B | -2.8% | |
| 1996 | $25.00M | $0.00 | $25.00M | — | 0.24B | — | |
| 1995 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — |
- 2025$418.20M
- 2024$453.90M
- 2023$458.70M
- 2022$1.07B
- 2021$45.40M
- 2020$330.30M
- 2019$207.50M
- 2018$234.80M
- 2017$230.20M
- 2016$184.80M
- 2015$502.30M
- 2014$500.00K
- 2013$52.40M
- 2012$375.10M
- 2011$385.50M
- 2010$85.10M
- 2009$144.90M
- 2008$159.40M
- 2007$371.20M
- 2006$434.20M
- 2005$311.69M
- 2004$235.46M
- 2003$213.31M
- 2002$208.58M
- 2001$176.51M
- 2000$202.10M
- 1999$227.50M
- 1998$170.70M
- 1997$44.10M
- 1996$25.00M
- 1995$0.00
Buybacks vs stock-based compensation for Darden Restaurants (DRI)
Annual cash repurchases set against stock-based compensation. Coverage above 1× means buybacks fully offset the equity dilution from SBC. TTM coverage: 7.22×.
Buybacks vs dividends (share of cash returned) for Darden Restaurants (DRI)
How Darden Restaurants splits cash returned to shareholders between dividends and buybacks.
Sector peers by buyback spend
Companies in the same sector as Darden Restaurants, ranked by their latest buyback spend.
| $6.44B | |
| $2.52B | |
| $2.06B | |
| $1.10B | |
| $211.00M | |
| $0.00 | |
| $0.00 | |
| $0.00 |
- $6.44B
- $2.52B
- $2.06B
- $1.10B
- $211.00M
- $0.00
- $0.00
- $0.00
Buyback capacity (TTM)
Free cash flow minus dividends paid versus actual TTM repurchases — the headroom bar shows how much of post-dividend FCF is still being deployed elsewhere.
Headroom $880.00M (TTM FCF − TTM dividends, clamped at zero).
Frequently asked questions
Data & methodology
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