[Form 4] DARDEN RESTAURANTS INC Insider Trading Activity
Cynthia T. Jamison, a director and Chairman of the Board of Darden Restaurants, reported transactions on 09/17/2025. She disposed of 6,961 shares of common stock and received a director annual grant of 1,365 restricted stock units (RSUs) that convert one-for-one into common shares. The RSUs vest on the earlier of one year from grant or the next annual shareholders' meeting, and the director may elect a one-time deferral of settlement until termination from the board. The Form 4 was signed by an attorney-in-fact on 09/19/2025.
- Director compensation granted via 1,365 RSUs aligns executive incentives with shareholder value
- Standard vesting and deferral provisions preserve retention incentives and allow deferral until board departure
- Reported disposition of 6,961 common shares reduces the reporting person's direct shareholdings
Insights
TL;DR: Routine director compensation and a separate disposition of shares; no clear material change to ownership or control.
The filing shows two routine items: a sale/disposition of 6,961 common shares and the grant of 1,365 RSUs as the FY26 director annual grant. The RSUs are nominal in size relative to a large-cap issuer and follow standard vesting and deferral features for non-employee directors. The transactions do not indicate a change in board composition or a transfer that materially affects governance. Documentation was executed by an attorney-in-fact, which is common for administrative filings.
TL;DR: Incremental insider activity: a disposal and a compensatory equity grant; likely immaterial for investors.
The disposition of 6,961 shares reduces the reporting person's direct holdings but is offset in part by the 1,365 RSU grant that vests over time. The RSU grant has a $0.00 per-unit price, indicating it is compensatory rather than a market purchase. Neither transaction, taken alone, provides evidence of material change in expected company performance or insider conviction.