Darden Restaurants Inc. Bottom Line Climbs 6% In Q4

(RTTNews) - Darden Restaurants Inc. (DRI) revealed earnings for its fourth quarter that gained ground from last year.

The company said its bottom line climbed to $148.8 million, or $1.18 per share. This was higher than $140.6 million, or $1.10 per share, in last year's fourth quarter.

Analysts had expected the company to earn $1.15 per share, according figures compiled by Thomson Reuters. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items.

The company said revenue for the quarter rose 7.8% to $1.93 billion. This was up from $1.79 billion last year.

Darden Restaurants Inc. earnings at a glance:

-Earnings (Q4): $148.8 Mln. vs. $140.6 Mln. last year. -Earnings Growth (Y-o-Y): 5.8% -EPS (Q4): $1.18 vs. $1.10 last year. -EPS Growth (Y-o-Y): 7.3% -Analysts Estimate: $1.15 -Revenue (Q4): $1.93 Bln vs. $1.79 Bln last year. -Revenue Change (Y-o-Y): 7.8%

-Guidance: Full year EPS guidance: $4.38 to $4.50