DRI vs CBRL vs EAT Stock Comparison

Darden Restaurants, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store and Brinker International Prices as of Oct 23, 2026 Peers: Industry group
DRI Darden Restaurants Inc
$212.38 -0.7% 1M +13.9% 1Y
Market cap
$24.23B
P/E
20.5x
Revenue (TTM)
$13.37B
Div. yield
–
Full-Service Restaurants Consumer Discretionary
4 wins
EAT Brinker International, Inc
$182.72 -13.4% 1M +44.6% 1Y
Market cap
$8.17B
P/E
16.8x
Revenue (TTM)
$5.81B
Div. yield
–
Full-Service Restaurants Consumer Discretionary
6 wins

Head to Head

11 decided of 12

Brinker International leads on 6 of the 12 questions below (Brinker International 6, Darden Restaurants 4, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store 1). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionDRICBRLEATLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $24.23B $1.53B $8.17B DRI
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 20.5x 48.4x 16.8x EAT
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 17.9x 31.6x 13.2x EAT
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +8.1% -4.7% +7.9% DRI
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months 8.8% 1.0% 8.4% DRI
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital 32.9% -1.4% 59.4% EAT
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA 1.1x 2.7x 0.4x EAT
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 0.00% 0.02% 0.00% –
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months +13.9% +84.1% +44.6% CBRL
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years +7.9%/yr -12.3%/yr +32.6%/yr EAT
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 27.9% 57.4% 49.4% DRI
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 48/100 35/100 79/100 EAT

Percentile Scorecard

DRICBRLEAT

Each axis is the mean percentile of its metrics against the company's industry group. 100 is the best in the group, 50 the middle.

Scores by Axis

AxisDRICBRLEAT
Valuation 33 #34 of 50 57 #22 of 50 67 #17 of 50
Growth 26 #35 of 47 9 #43 of 47 94 #4 of 47
Profitability 80 #10 of 46 38 #29 of 46 93 #4 of 46
Financial Health 26 #38 of 51 38 #32 of 51 54 #24 of 51
Shareholder Returns 75 #9 of 33 31 #23 of 33 88 #5 of 33
Overall 48 35 79
  • DRI ranked among 53 companies in Restaurants
  • CBRL ranked among 53 companies in Restaurants
  • EAT ranked among 53 companies in Restaurants

Price Performance

Price return, split-adjusted, before dividends. Click a name to hide or show it.

Returns

PeriodDRICBRLEATSPY
1 month -0.7%+42.4%-13.4% -1.0%
3 months +8.2%+26.0%-2.2% +2.9%
6 months +5.6%+130.4%+31.8% +6.4%
Year to date +15.4%+166.4%+27.3% +11.4%
1 year +13.9%+84.1%+44.6% +13.1%
3 years +49.5%-0.2%+463.1% +79.4%
3 years, per year +14.3%-0.1%+78.0% +21.5%
5 years +46.1%-48.0%+309.5% +67.7%
5 years, per year +7.9%-12.3%+32.6% +10.9%
10 years +236.7%-50.0%+252.2% +255.2%
10 years, per year +12.9%-6.7%+13.4% +13.5%

Risk

MeasureDRICBRLEATSPY
Volatility, 1Y 27.9%57.4%49.4% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 28.1%53.6%46.1% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 0.160.320.73 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y 0.501.460.90 1.03
Max drawdown, 5Y -28.1%-83.2%-50.7% -25.4%
From 52-week high -6.7%-2.0%-28.1% -2.5%
52-week high $227.72$69.02$254.01 $779.14
52-week low $169.21$25.02$102.29 $631.97

Valuation History

Weekly multiples on trailing twelve-month fundamentals. Negative or extreme readings (a loss year, a collapsed denominator) are left out so the chart stays readable.

MultipleDRICBRLEAT
P/E now vs peer median 20.4xmedian 20.6x 47.7xmedian 20.6x 16.4xmedian 20.6x
P/S now vs peer median 1.8xmedian 1.1x 0.5xmedian 1.1x 1.3xmedian 1.1x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median 12.4xmedian 13.3x 16.0xmedian 13.3x 9.6xmedian 13.3x
P/FCF now vs peer median 23.4xmedian 17.3x 17.1xmedian 17.3x 13.8xmedian 17.3x
P/B now vs peer median 11.6xmedian 3.1x 3.2xmedian 3.1x 17.4xmedian 3.1x
PEG now vs peer median 2.36median 1.04 -1.50median 1.04 0.24median 1.04

Financial History

Reported figures by fiscal period, placed on the calendar year (or quarter) each period ended in, so companies with different fiscal years line up.

Trailing twelve monthsDRICBRLEAT
Revenue $13.37B $3.32B $5.81B
Gross profit $4.46B $2.29B $4.32B
Operating income $1.56B -$12.47M $619.90M
Net income $1.18B $31.68M $487.00M
Free cash flow $1.03B $88.42M $557.50M
EPS (diluted) $10.33 $1.40 $10.87
Cash & equivalents $220.50M $36.54M $110.00M
Total debt $2.62B $1.91B $448.00M
Shares (diluted) 114.40M 22.55M 44.80M
Enterprise value $23.33B $1.45B $7.95B

All Metrics

58 metrics · best in bold

Bold marks the best reading: the lowest positive value for multiples, leverage and payout, the highest for everything else. The bar under each value is its percentile against that company's own peers. Hover a value for its rank and the peer median.

Valuation

12 metrics
MetricDRICBRLEAT
P/E 20.4x 47.7x 16.4x
P/FCF 23.4x 17.1x 13.8x
P/Operating cash flow 13.4x 7.3x 9.8x
P/S 1.8x 0.5x 1.3x
P/B 11.6x 3.2x 17.4x
P/Tangible book 33.3x 3.2x 18.0x
EV/EBITDA 12.4x 16.0x 9.6x
EV/EBIT 16.9x -145.4x 13.0x
EV/Revenue 2.0x 0.5x 1.4x
EV/FCF 25.7x 20.5x 14.4x
EV/Operating cash flow 14.8x 8.8x 10.2x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) 2.36 -1.50 0.24

Growth

14 metrics
MetricDRICBRLEAT
Revenue growth (1Y) 8.1% -4.7% 7.9%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) 7.5% -1.2% 12.0%
Gross profit growth (1Y) -32.7% -4.6% 7.1%
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) -7.5% -0.3% 13.1%
Operating income growth (1Y) 9.1% -122.7% 21.1%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) 8.9% -28.1% 62.5%
Net income growth (1Y) 7.5% -31.7% 27.1%
Net income CAGR (3Y) 6.3% -31.6% 68.1%
EPS growth (1Y) 10.5% -31.9% 30.8%
EPS CAGR (3Y) 8.6% -31.9% 68.3%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) 0.7% -5.8% 16.3%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) 8.7% -6.3% 45.5%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) -4.4% 48.0% 34.8%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) 10.0% -10.5% 98.4%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricDRICBRLEAT
Gross margin 33.4% 69.1% 74.4%
EBITDA margin 16.0% 3.4% 14.4%
Operating margin 11.7% -0.4% 10.7%
Pretax margin 10.2% 0.6% 10.0%
Net margin 8.8% 1.0% 8.4%
FCF margin 7.7% 2.7% 9.6%
Operating cash flow margin 13.4% 6.2% 13.6%
Return on equity 55.3% 6.7% 114.6%
Return on assets 9.1% 1.5% 17.4%
Return on invested capital 32.9% -1.4% 59.4%
Return on capital employed 15.9% -0.8% 29.3%
Asset turnover 1.0x 1.6x 2.1x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 1.5x 6.5x 1.6x
Stock comp / revenue 0.6% 0.3% 0.6%

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricDRICBRLEAT
Debt / assets 19.8% 16.7% 15.9%
Debt / equity 1.3x 0.7x 1.0x
Net debt / EBITDA 1.1x 2.7x 0.4x
Debt / FCF 2.5x 3.8x 0.8x
Liabilities / assets 84.4% 76.4% 84.2%
Equity / assets 15.6% 23.6% 15.8%
Interest coverage – – 15.3x
Current ratio 0.3x 0.6x 0.5x
Quick ratio 0.1x 0.2x 0.3x
Cash ratio 0.1x 0.1x 0.2x
Altman Z-score 2.46 2.41 4.92

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricDRICBRLEAT
Dividend yield 2.9% 1.5% –
Net buyback yield 2.8% – 5.7%
Shareholder yield 5.7% 1.5% 5.7%
Payout ratio (earnings) – 73.1% –
Payout ratio (FCF) – 26.2% –
Dividend growth (1Y) – 0.2% –
Dividend CAGR (3Y) – -41.6% –

Analyst Estimates

Solid lines are reported fiscal-year results; dashed lines are the consensus for the years ahead. Hover a year for the analysts' high and low, and how each result compared with its estimate.

ConsensusDRICBRLEAT
Forward P/E 17.9xFY2026 31.6xFY2027 13.2xFY2027
EPS, next fiscal year $11.87FY2026 $2.14FY2027 $13.83FY2027
EPS growth, next FY +11.6%FY2026 +167.5%FY2027 +28.8%FY2027
EPS growth, the year after +7.9% +5.6% -0.6%
Revenue, next fiscal year $14.53BFY2026 $3.54BFY2027 $5.98BFY2027
Revenue growth, next FY +10.0%FY2026 +6.6%FY2027 +3.0%FY2027
Revenue growth, the year after -3.5% -8.3% +12.4%
DRI estimates →CBRL estimates →EAT estimates →

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersDRICBRLEAT
Held by institutions 97.6% 100.0% 100.0%
Institutions holding 1,083 270 507
Change in shares held, QoQ +1.9% +12.2% -1.4%
Institutions buying 578 150 279
Institutions selling 325 69 160
Buyers to sellers 1.78 2.17 1.74
DRI holders →CBRL holders →EAT holders →

Return Correlation

Daily returns, last 12 months

1.00 means two stocks move in lockstep, 0 that they move independently. Pairs below about 0.5 diversify each other.

DRICBRLEAT
DRI 1.00 0.44 0.49
CBRL 0.44 1.00 0.36
EAT 0.49 0.36 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry
DRI · Full-Service Restaurants
+TXRHTexas Roadhouse +CAKECheesecake Factory +BJRIBJs RESTAURANTS +BLMNBloomin' Brands +HDLSuper Hi International Holding +DINDine Brands Global +PCPremium Catering (Holdings) +RRGBRed Robin Gourmet Burgers
Plot all 47 Full-Service Restaurants stocks →

Related Comparisons

DRI vs TXRHTexas Roadhouse DRI vs CAKECheesecake Factory DRI vs BJRIBJs RESTAURANTS DRI vs BLMNBloomin' Brands

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, DRI, CBRL and EAT?

Darden Restaurants (DRI) is the largest by market capitalisation: Darden Restaurants (DRI) $24.23B, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (CBRL) $1.53B, Brinker International (EAT) $8.17B.

Which stock is cheaper, DRI, CBRL and EAT?

Brinker International (EAT) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (Darden Restaurants (DRI) 20.5x, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (CBRL) 48.4x, Brinker International (EAT) 16.8x). On next year's consensus earnings, Brinker International (EAT) is cheapest (Darden Restaurants (DRI) 17.9x, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (CBRL) 31.6x, Brinker International (EAT) 13.2x). A lower multiple can reflect slower expected growth, so read it next to the growth figures.

Which company is growing faster?

Darden Restaurants (DRI) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: Darden Restaurants (DRI) +8.1%, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (CBRL) -4.7%, Brinker International (EAT) +7.9%.

Which company is more profitable?

Darden Restaurants (DRI) has the highest net margin (Darden Restaurants (DRI) 8.8%, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (CBRL) 1.0%, Brinker International (EAT) 8.4%). On return on invested capital, Brinker International (EAT) leads (Darden Restaurants (DRI) 32.9%, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (CBRL) -1.4%, Brinker International (EAT) 59.4%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (CBRL) returned the most: Darden Restaurants (DRI) +13.9%, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (CBRL) +84.1%, Brinker International (EAT) +44.6%. Over five years, Brinker International (EAT) compounded fastest (Darden Restaurants (DRI) +7.9%/yr, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (CBRL) -12.3%/yr, Brinker International (EAT) +32.6%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Only one of these companies pays a dividend: Darden Restaurants (DRI) 0.00%, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (CBRL) 0.02%, Brinker International (EAT) 0.00%. Darden Restaurants (DRI) and Brinker International (EAT) pays no regular dividend.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Darden Restaurants (DRI) has been the steadiest (Darden Restaurants (DRI) 27.9%, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (CBRL) 57.4%, Brinker International (EAT) 49.4%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, DRI, CBRL and EAT?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Brinker International (EAT) leads on 6. Business Quant does not give investment advice; use the comparison as a starting point for your own research.

Data from SEC filings, exchange prices and consensus estimates, via Business Quant. Percentile scores compare each company with its own peer group, so two companies' scores are each relative to different peers unless you rank against the whole market. Price returns exclude dividends. Nothing on this page is investment advice.