DR

Darden Restaurants, Inc. stock research

May 26, 2024

FY2024 Q4

Darden Restaurants (DRI) Gross Margin — Quarter Ended May 26, 2024

For the quarter, revenue was unchanged from the prior quarter while gross profit improved and cost of revenue decreased, leading to a stronger gross margin. Compared to the same quarter one year earlier, revenue was higher, gross profit increased, and cost of revenue also rose, with gross margin remaining broadly stable.

Gross margin takeaway

Quarter ended May 26, 2024 · FY2024 Q4

For the quarter, revenue was unchanged from the prior quarter while gross profit improved and cost of revenue decreased, leading to a stronger gross margin. Compared to the same quarter one year earlier, revenue was higher, gross profit increased, and cost of revenue also rose, with gross margin remaining broadly stable.

  • Gross profit improved sequentially while revenue was flat, indicating that a shift in the relationship between cost of revenue and revenue drove the margin higher.
  • Sequentially, gross margin improved from the prior quarter, as cost of revenue decreased relative to revenue. Year-over-year, gross margin was mixed, as revenue and cost of revenue both rose by similar proportions.

Gross margin snapshot

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

Gross margin

21.8%

Gross profit

$643.7M

Revenue

$3.0B

Cost of revenue

$2.3B

Quarter-over-quarter change

+1.1 pts

Year-over-year change

+0.1 pts

Quarterly gross margin trend

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

PeriodRevenueGross profitCost of revenueGross margin
Aug 27, 2023$2.7B$519.1M$2.2B19.0%
Nov 26, 2023$2.7B$513.3M$2.2B18.8%
Feb 25, 2024$3.0B$613.9M$2.4B20.6%
May 26, 2024$3.0B$643.7M$2.3B21.8%

Quarterly comparisons

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

Previous-quarter change

Feb 25, 2024

+1.1 pts

Year-over-year change

May 28, 2023

+0.1 pts

What the margin says

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

Gross profit improved sequentially while revenue was flat, indicating that a shift in the relationship between cost of revenue and revenue drove the margin higher.

Sequentially, gross margin improved from the prior quarter, as cost of revenue decreased relative to revenue. Year-over-year, gross margin was mixed, as revenue and cost of revenue both rose by similar proportions.

Monitor whether the relative cost of revenue continues to decline or stabilize, as this has been a key lever for margin improvement.