Darden Restaurants Inc

We're watching news from the Federal Reserve as well as earnings from Oracle, CarMax, and Darden Restaurants.

There's more to Darden's outperformance than favorable industry trends.

Best practices from Olive Garden are gaining traction across the system, suggesting that momentum will continue into fiscal 2019 and beyond.

We're also watching for Kroger, plus housing starts and existing home sales.

Management expects fiscal 2018 earnings per share to tick up, and we continue to view the stock as a solid capital-allocation play.

Reduction in menu items and other productivity initiatives are making a difference at concepts beyond Olive Garden.

A smattering of earnings plus consumption and housing data are due ahead of the holidays.

We're also watching consumption data for signs of inflation. Plus, home sales, a revision to the second-quarter GDP reading, and durable goods orders.

Guest experience, menu management, off-premise sales, and operational simplification should continue to drive growth for the casual-dining chain.

While it is hard to handicap if a deal will happen, there has been an uptick in restaurant M&A in the last few months and it's easy to see that Panera would be an attractive target.

Cheddar's value reputation, restaurant layout, and target audience complement the company's existing portfolio.

Friday's release of consumption data will be closely watched along with consumer sentiment. Plus, earnings from Darden, Carnival, and Blackberry.

The Olive Garden parent's rebound is one of the most interesting stories in restaurants today. Plus, strong results from a homebuilder and tepid sales from General Mills.

Consumption and confidence data, along with earnings from a diverse group of firms, will be the week's highlights.

Employment data will be closely watch by the market and the Fed this week. Plus, the ISM index, auto sales, and updates from Darden and Yum.

There is little precedent for how the ECB's aggressive stimulus measures might play out. Plus, Olive Garden gets cooking, Dick's looks undervalued, and more.

Valuations look full, as chains such as McDonald's realize turnaround efforts. But good deals are still on the menu.

Any signs that the Fed will be more aggressive in the pace of future rate hikes would be a surprise.

We dropped our value estimate in the wake of the automaker's emissions scandal. Plus, Caterpillar and ConAgra under pressure, and more.

Those hoping to discern if the economy is strong enough to warrant Fed action later this year or if growth is truly slowing won't get much new information this week.