Darden Restaurants Form 4: Connelly Granted 4,286 Performance RSUs
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
The Form 4 filing discloses that Susan M. Connelly, Senior Vice President & Chief Communications and Public Affairs Officer of Darden Restaurants, Inc. (DRI), recorded an equity award-related transaction on 17 June 2025.
Key details:
- Derivative award earned: 4,286 Performance Restricted Stock Units (PSUs) converted on a one-for-one basis into common stock after the Compensation Committee finalized FY23 relative-TSR results.
- Target vs. payout: The original grant on 27 July 2022 contemplated 2,143 target PSUs; strong performance doubled the payout to 4,286 units.
- Vesting schedule: The earned shares vest in two equal installments beginning 27 July 2025 and fully vesting by 27 July 2026.
- Price paid: $0.0000 per share (equity award; no open-market purchase or sale).
- Post-transaction ownership: 4,601.998 common shares held directly, plus 4,286 derivative shares (PSUs) now beneficially owned.
No shares were sold; the filing solely reflects the earning and crediting of performance-based equity. The award size is modest relative to Darden’s ~125 million shares outstanding, implying <0.01 % dilution, and therefore the transaction is considered routine from a capital-structure standpoint. However, the above-target payout signals that Darden’s total shareholder return outperformed its peer group for the FY23 performance period.
Positive
- Above-target performance payout: 4,286 PSUs earned versus 2,143 target units indicates Darden outperformed its peer TSR benchmark.
Negative
- None.
Insights
TL;DR: Routine insider award; above-target PSU payout reflects strong TSR, minimal dilution, limited market impact.
The filing confirms that Ms. Connelly earned 4,286 PSUs—double the target level—after the Board validated superior relative TSR for the FY23 cycle. While this indicates positive corporate performance, the absolute share amount is immaterial to Darden’s float and involves no cash outlay or insider sale. Consequently, liquidity, leverage and per-share metrics remain unaffected. Investors may view the above-target payout as a qualitative signal of management execution, but the transaction itself is largely administrative and should not move the stock.
Insider Trade Summary
| Type | Security | Shares | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grant/Award | Performance Restricted Stock Units (FY23) | 4,286 | $0.00 | -- |
| holding | Common Stock | -- | -- | -- |
Footnotes (1)
- Includes shares acquired pursuant to the Darden Restaurants, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan and dividend reinvestment feature of the Plan. On July 27, 2022, the Reporting Person was awarded 2,143 target performance restricted stock units (PSUs) subject to the achievement of performance criteria (relative total shareholder return as compared to a selected comparison group) from July 27, 2022 through May 25, 2025. Performance restricted stock units convert into common stock on a one-for-one basis. On June 17, 2025, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors determined the final results under the applicable performance criteria resulting in 4,286 PSUs being earned in accordance with the provisions of the applicable award agreement. This grant vests in two equal annual installments beginning on July 27, 2025.