Investing.com -- Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE: DRI) reported second-quarter revenue that exceeded analyst expectations, despite a slight earnings miss, sending shares up 3.2% premarket as investors focused on strong sales growth across all restaurant segments.

The parent company of Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse posted adjusted earnings per share of $2.08 for the quarter ended November 23, falling short of the $2.11 analyst estimate. However, revenue climbed 7.3% YoY to $3.1 billion, surpassing the consensus forecast of $3.07 billion, driven by a 4.3% increase in same-restaurant sales and contributions from 30 net new restaurants.

LongHorn Steakhouse led performance with same-restaurant sales growth of 5.9%, followed by Olive Garden at 4.7%. The company’s Fine Dining segment posted a modest 0.8% increase, while Other Business, which now includes recently acquired Chuy’s, saw a 3.1% rise.

"The second quarter exceeded our top-line expectations as every segment delivered positive same-restaurant sales," said Darden President & CEO Rick Cardenas. "Despite facing significant commodity headwinds, we leveraged our four competitive advantages to provide strong value for our guests."

Darden updated its fiscal 2026 outlook, now projecting total sales growth of 8.5% to 9.3%, including approximately 2% growth from an additional week in the fiscal year. The company expects same-restaurant sales growth of 3.5% to 4.3% and adjusted EPS of $10.50 to $10.70, which includes approximately $0.20 related to the 53rd week.

During the quarter, Darden repurchased approximately 1.1 million shares for $222 million and declared a quarterly dividend of $1.50 per share, payable on February 2, 2026.