Diners wearing protective masks wait outside an Olive Garden restaurant in Thornton, Colorado, on Friday, March 19, 2021.
Chet Strange | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Darden Restaurants on Thursday reported quarterly earnings that topped analysts’ expectations as customers visited Olive Garden and its other chains more than expected.

The company is forecasting that its fiscal fourth-quarter results will show it’s well on the way to recovering from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Shares of the company rose more than 4% in premarket trading.

Here’s what the company reported compared with what Wall Street was expecting, based on a survey of analysts by Refinitiv:

  • Earnings per share: 98 cents vs. 69 cents expected
  • Revenue: $1.73 billion vs. $1.63 billion expected

The company reported fiscal third-quarter net income of $128.7 million, or 98 cents per share, down from $232.3 million, or $1.89 per share, a year earlier. Analysts surveyed by Refinitiv were expecting earnings of 69 cents per share.

Net sales fell 26.1% to $1.73 billion, topping expectations of $1.63 billion.

You May Also Like
Southwest Airlines (LUV) earnings Q1 2024

Southwest Airlines (LUV) earnings Q1 2024

A Southwest commercial airliner takes off from Las Vegas International Airport in…
The Human Touch in Law: Lessons from Dorothy Lawrence

The Human Touch in Law: Lessons from Dorothy Lawrence

Imagine this: a quiet courtroom, bathed in soft morning light, as a…

RH CEO confident in the retailer’s expansion plans: ‘We still feel like we’re just warming up’

In this article RH RH CEO Gary Friedman told CNBC on Thursday he…
Stocks making the biggest moves after hours: SQ, CVNA and more

Stocks making the biggest moves after hours: SQ, CVNA and more

In this photo illustration, the logo for the US tech firm “Block”…