John W. Wilkerson, President of Olive Garden at Darden Restaurants Inc (NYSE: DRI), filed a Form 4 on August 6, 2026, disclosing option exercises and open-market sales of common stock that occurred on August 5, 2026.

Key Highlights

  • Option exercised: Wilkerson exercised a stock option for 6,364 shares of common stock at a conversion price of $124.24 per share on August 5, 2026.
  • First sale: 2,500 shares were sold at a weighted average price of $208.4141, executed in multiple trades ranging from $208.115 to $208.8689.
  • Second sale: 6,364 shares were sold at a weighted average price of $208.297, executed in multiple trades ranging from $208.04 to $208.8888.
  • Remaining direct ownership: Following all reported transactions, Wilkerson directly owned 18,793.689 shares, according to the filing.
  • Indirect holdings: An additional 614.8433 shares are held indirectly through a 401(k) plan.
  • Option fully disposed: The exercised stock option, which had an expiration date of July 24, 2029, shows 0.0000 derivative securities remaining after the transaction.

Wilkerson's August 2026 Option Exercise and Share Sales at Darden Restaurants

According to the filing, John W. Wilkerson, who serves as President of Olive Garden and is listed as an officer of Darden Restaurants Inc, reported three transactions in the company's common stock on August 5, 2026. The first transaction was the exercise (transaction code M) of a stock option covering 6,364 shares at an exercise price of $124.24. The filing notes this option vested in two equal annual installments beginning on July 24, 2022, and carried an expiration date of July 24, 2029.

Following the option exercise, Wilkerson disposed of shares through two separate open-market sale transactions, both coded S. The first sale covered 2,500 shares at a weighted average price of $208.4141, with individual trade prices ranging from $208.115 to $208.8689. The second sale covered 6,364 shares at a weighted average price of $208.297, with individual trade prices ranging from $208.04 to $208.8888. The filing states that Wilkerson undertakes to provide full information on the number of shares and prices for each sale upon request to the SEC staff, the issuer, or a security holder.

After all reported transactions, Wilkerson's direct beneficial ownership stood at 18,793.689 shares, which the filing notes includes shares acquired through the Darden Restaurants, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan and its dividend reinvestment feature. An indirect holding of 614.8433 shares is reported through a 401(k) plan. The Form 4 was signed by Noni Holmes-Kidd as attorney-in-fact for Wilkerson on August 6, 2026.

What Was Disclosed

The filing disclosed an option exercise of 6,364 shares and two open-market sales totaling 8,864 shares by Darden Restaurants' President of Olive Garden on August 5, 2026, leaving him with 18,793.689 shares held directly and 614.8433 shares held indirectly via a 401(k).