Wells Fargo analyst Jeff Farmer reiterates Market Perform rating and $72-76 price target range on Darden Restaurants (NYSE: DRI), suggesting the company's solid third quarter results, with EPS and revenue beats, take a back see to the Cheddar's acquisition.

Farmer comments, "Olive Garden's healthy share gains persist, but we remain on the sideline with DRI shares trading at almost 9.5x EBITDA and now incrementally levered (through the Cheddar’s acquisition) to a structurally challenged casual dining segment. DRI reported F3Q EPS of $1.32, +9% Y/Y and above the $1.27 Street estimate. Blended SSS were +0.9%, handily outpacing the +0.3% Street number. By concept, the core Olive Garden posted +1.4% SSS, ahead of the Street estimate and in line with the 400bps of average SSS outperformance (vs the casual dining peer group) seen over the last 4 quarters. LongHorn's SSS were +0.2%, ahead of the -0.1% Street estimate and just above the 250bps outperformance seen over the last 4 quarters. The FY17 EPS guidance range was increased to $3.95-4.00 from $3.87-3.94 (Street at $3.94) with a minor bump in EPS driven by (based on our model) a more modest level of labor cost pressure. Raising FY17E EPS to $4.00 from $3.95 and FY18E to $4.32 from $4.24. Model does not reflect potential acquisition accretion."

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Shares of Darden Restaurants closed at $75.58 yesterday.