Dear Reader,
At the end of summer, I released a warning.
I said a drawbridge was going up across America.
(If you missed that message, you can still watch the replay here.)
On one side: those using AI to grow their wealth.
On the other: those getting left behind.
Since then, the pace of disruption has become unlike anything I've seen in nearly 30 years in the markets.
- Just this week, Amazon announced the largest layoff in its corporate history ... 30,000 jobs gone, mostly due to AI.
- Morgan Stanley is right behind them... replacing thousands of workers and launching more than 30 AI projects behind closed doors.
Very soon, everyone in America will face the same decision: Use AI to build wealth... Or get overtaken by those who do.
There is no neutral ground anymore.
And unfortunately, millions will simply freeze: watching, waiting, hoping... as AI moves on without them.
Over the years, tens of thousands of people have come to rely on my financial research... and I don't take that trust lightly.
That's why, I'm not just issuing warnings about what's to come... I've actually done something to help protect you and even prosper.
I've just released a breakthrough investing tool.
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Regards,
Whitney Tilson
Editor,Stansberry's Investment Advisory
P.S. This isn't the first time we've seen a shift like this, of course.
People held on to Borders as Amazon took over retail. They clung to Blockbuster while Netflix envelopes arrived in the mail. They refused to sell their Blackberrys...until it was too late.
Today is another one of those moments.
The difference is: you still have time.
Click here to see the solution I've developed for you.
Darden Restaurants, Inc.: This is What a Strong Signal Looks Like
By Thomas Hughes. First Published: 12/23/2025.
Quick Look
- Darden Restaurants is testing long-term trend support after a steep pullback, creating a potential trend-following entry setup.
- Recent quarterly results showed solid sales and same-restaurant sales growth, alongside continued dividends and buybacks.
- Heavy institutional ownership and net inflows suggest support if the stock confirms a breakout back above key moving averages.
Darden Restaurants, Inc.'s (NYSE: DRI) stock is flashing a potential trend-following entry in late December after a sharp 2025 pullback.
The core thesis is straightforward: the long-term uptrend looks intact, momentum indicators are turning, and fundamentals — paired with institutional positioning — create a credible path to market‑beating total returns in 2026 if the stock clears nearby resistance.
Darden Restaurants Pulls Back to Trend-Following Entry Point in Q4
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Watch the brief demo hereWeekly price action for DRI stock has been in an uptrend since 2014, interrupted primarily by COVID-19 volatility.
More recently, a robust 2024 rally broke price action out of an Ascending Triangle Pattern (a consolidation with flat, equal highs and progressively higher lows) and set a new all-time high. That move was driven by growth, margin strength, and capital returns.
The 2025 pullback is less obviously bullish: the stock fell about 25% from its peak to the November 2025 low. Still, the long-term uptrend remains intact.
That decline was painful, but it did two things for trend followers: it pulled price back toward long-term support and allowed momentum gauges to unwind from extended conditions. Indicators such as the moving average convergence divergence (MACD) and the stochastic oscillator reset, showing room for a renewed advance.
It also allowed a critical exponential moving average (EMA) to catch up with price action. On the weekly chart that line is the 150-week EMA, a long-term buy-and-hold support that has aligned with DRI's uptrend for years. On daily charts, the comparable level is the 150-day EMA. The takeaway in late December is that support at these key indicators is advancing, setting the stage for a rebound that has already started.
The MACD and stochastic indicators, which measure momentum and trend, clearly point to a technical trend-following entry. The rebound, together with bullish crossovers in stochastic and MACD, constitutes that entry signal and suggests the stock can retest its recent highs and potentially move higher in 2026. Investors should note, however, that late‑December price action has reached a nearby ceiling that needs to be cleared.
The Next Hurdle: Reclaiming the 150-Day EMA to Confirm Accumulation
Even with improving momentum, the chart presents an obvious test: reclaiming the 150-day EMA. Many investors treat that line as a proxy for intermediate-term accumulation. When price is below it, rallies can stall; when price moves back above it and holds, it often signals that dip buyers are back in control.
Right now, the market appears to be digesting the rebound that followed the most recent earnings catalyst. A clean push above the 150-day EMA — followed by a successful retest — would offer added confirmation for traders who want more than an initial bounce.
Earnings Catalyst: What Darden Just Reported and Why It Matters
The earnings results for fiscal Q2 (FQ2) showed year‑over‑year growth accelerating to over 7%, outperformance versus expectations, and strong margins driven by core business strength and comp-store sales.
Cash flow and capital returns were healthy as well, including the 3.1% yielding dividend and continued share buybacks.
Buybacks have been meaningful, reducing the share count by roughly 1.2% in the first fiscal half, and they are expected to remain robust in the second half.
While results among restaurant stocks influenced sentiment, analyst and institutional reactions were decisive. The FQ2 release prompted several price-target increases and upgrades, reaffirming the Moderate Buy rating and a roughly 20% upside forecast. Institutions are buying aggressively: they own more than 90% of the stock, and their 2025 activity amounts to about $2 in purchases for each $1 in sales. With that backing, DRI's downside appears limited and its upside potential substantial.
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