Darden Restaurants Inc. Bottom Line Rises In Q1

(RTTNews) - Darden Restaurants Inc. (DRI) reported earnings for its first quarter that advanced from the same period last year.

The company's earnings came in at $170.6 million, or $1.37 per share. This compares with $166.2 million, or $1.32 per share, in last year's first quarter.

Analysts had expected the company to earn $1.36 per share, according to figures compiled by Thomson Reuters. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items.

The company's revenue for the quarter rose 3.4% to $2.13 billion from $2.06 billion last year.

Darden Restaurants Inc. earnings at a glance:

-Earnings (Q1): $170.6 Mln. vs. $166.2 Mln. last year. -EPS (Q1): $1.37 vs. $1.32 last year. -Analysts Estimate: $1.36 -Revenue (Q1): $2.13 Bln vs. $2.06 Bln last year.

-Guidance: Full year EPS guidance: $6.30 to $6.45