DR

Darden Restaurants, Inc. stock research

May 28, 2023

FY2023 Q4

Darden Restaurants (DRI) Gross Margin — Quarter Ended May 28, 2023

Revenue was stable sequentially but higher year-over-year, while gross profit increased in both comparisons, leading to an improved gross margin. Cost of revenue remained stable sequentially but was higher year-over-year, reflecting a shift in the relationship between costs and revenue.

Gross margin takeaway

Quarter ended May 28, 2023 · FY2023 Q4

Revenue was stable sequentially but higher year-over-year, while gross profit increased in both comparisons, leading to an improved gross margin. Cost of revenue remained stable sequentially but was higher year-over-year, reflecting a shift in the relationship between costs and revenue.

  • The strongest observable margin driver is the increase in gross profit relative to revenue, as gross profit grew while revenue was stable sequentially and rose year-over-year. This improvement in gross profit outpaced the change in revenue, resulting in a higher gross margin.
  • Compared to the immediately preceding quarter, gross margin improved, with revenue stable and gross profit higher. Compared to the same quarter one year earlier, gross margin also improved, driven by higher revenue and an even larger increase in gross profit.

Gross margin snapshot

The selected quarter's reported revenue, gross profit, direct costs, and margin comparisons.

Gross margin

21.7%

Gross profit

$599.7M

Revenue

$2.8B

Cost of revenue

$2.2B

Quarter-over-quarter change

+1.7 pts

Year-over-year change

+1.7 pts

Quarterly gross margin trend

A four-quarter view of the revenue and direct-cost bridge behind gross margin.

PeriodRevenueGross profitCost of revenueGross margin
Feb 26, 2023$2.8B$556.5M$2.2B20.0%
May 28, 2023$2.8B$599.7M$2.2B21.7%

Quarterly comparisons

Compare the selected margin with the preceding quarter and the same fiscal quarter one year earlier.

Previous-quarter change

Feb 26, 2023

+1.7 pts

Year-over-year change

May 29, 2022

+1.7 pts

What the margin says

Filing-constrained interpretation of margin direction, comparisons, and what to monitor next.

The strongest observable margin driver is the increase in gross profit relative to revenue, as gross profit grew while revenue was stable sequentially and rose year-over-year. This improvement in gross profit outpaced the change in revenue, resulting in a higher gross margin.

Compared to the immediately preceding quarter, gross margin improved, with revenue stable and gross profit higher. Compared to the same quarter one year earlier, gross margin also improved, driven by higher revenue and an even larger increase in gross profit.

Monitor the trajectory of cost of revenue relative to revenue, as the gross margin improvement reflects a shift in that ratio. The company's filing notes that operating cash flows are used to fund capital expenditures, dividends, and share repurchases while targeting an investment-grade credit rating.