5 Things to Watch on Wall Street This Week
From a mysterious media event at Facebook to struggling restaurant operator Darden's latest earnings report, here are 5 things that will help shape this week on Wall Street.
Darden Restaurants
Something Big is Eating Your Old Favorite Restaurant Chains
It's not the best of times to be running a casual dining or fast food chain. Their sales are sputtering because another restaurant category is eating their lunch.
Soft Sales at Red Lobster Sink Darden's Earnings
Consumers' increasing preference for fast-food outlets such as Chipotle and Panera take a toll on Darden's third-quarter earnings.
Casual Dining Chains Still Feel the Pinch
The overall economy may be picking up, but restaurants are hurting. And it's the casual, or family-style chains – such as Red Lobster, Applebee's, and Bob Evans – that are feeling the most pain.
5 Things to Watch on Wall Street This Week
From Fedex reporting earnings to BlackBerry finally bringing the Z10 smartphone to America, there will be plenty happening to move the markets in the week ahead.
Olive Garden Owner Darden Restaurants Warns on 3rd Quarter
Darden Restaurants, struggling to draw more customers into its Olive Garden, Red Lobster, and LongHorn Steakhouse restaurants, said Friday that its third-quarter profit could fall below Wall Street's expectations and cut its outlook for the year.
5 Things to Watch This Week: Drugstores, E-tailers, Cisco, Cintas, and Breadsticks
Here are some items that will shape the week that lies ahead on Wall Street. Drug stores, Darden Restaurants, and uniform seller Cintas all report earnings -- each a bellwether in its own way; Cisco looks to sell Linksys; and holiday shoppers hit the home stretch.
Red Lobster, for the Budget-Conscious Non-Seafood Lover in You
The chain that brought seafood to the masses is hoping to broaden its appeal by revamping its menu on Oct. 15 to boost the number of dishes that cater to diners who don't want seafood, and to attract customers who have cut back on spending.
Why Olive Garden and Red Lobster Will Never Be Great Again
The company behind Red Lobster and Olive Garden -- as well as the smaller LongHorn Steakhouse, Capital Grille, and Bahama Breeze concepts -- saw its stock hit a new all-time high on Friday after it posted better-than-expected quarterly results. But trends at its two most important restaurants are cause for concern.
Can Fast Food Really Make America Healthier?
McDonald's and other fast-food establishments recently garnered praise from First Lady Michelle Obama for making great strides toward "making America healthier." But how admirable have their efforts really been? Here's a closer look at the likely effects of changes to the happy meal -- and a different business's better efforts.
Be Careful Picking From the Menu of Restaurant Stocks
If you're finding it a bit easier to snag a table at your favorite restaurant lately, don't go crediting your debonair charm or your glowing Yelp review. Eateries really are less crowded these days.
5 Things to Watch Next Week on Wall St.
Next week's biggest news is all but certain to be Apple's introduction of the iPhone 5, led by new CEO Tim Cook. Beyond that, there will be quarterly reports from Darden Restaurants (Olive Garden, Red Lobster), Monsanto, and Costco, as well as a big-screen offering from IMAX.
Consumers Are Finding Cash for 'Small Luxuries'
As the economy improves, Americans have begun splurging again. But they're limiting their indulgences to haircuts, casual dining and coffee, while continuing to forego many bigger expenditures, like vacations and dining at expensive restaurants.
Nine Valentine's Day Stocks to Sweeten Your Portfolio
Spending for the lovers' holiday this year is expected to climb 5.8% over 2009, and that spells opportunity for investors. Here are some greeting card, candy, jewelry, flower and restaurant stocks that could get a lift from sweethearts looking for that special something.
Week in Preview: Earnings from Nike, Darden and More
Late-season earnings could help ring in some early holiday cheer for investors this week. Analysts expect strong results from Nike, Bed Bath & Beyond, Darden Restaurants -- which operates Olive Garden and Red Lobster -- and electronics company Jabil Circuit.
Gulf Shucked: Red Lobster Chain Stops Serving Oysters
With its supplier, AmeriPure, shutting down operations, the popular seafood chain has no choice but to pull the shellfish. Now AmeriPure's future is on the rocks.
Recession Takes a Bite Out of Power Lunch
Restaurant traffic is down in 2009, with industry experts partly blaming cutbacks in expense-account dining. That's also a problem for dealmaking because a third of CFOs say their most successful business meetings get conducted over a meal.