Darden touts sales growth ahead of proxy vote

Days ahead of a critical vote on the future of the company's board, Darden Restaurants Inc. said sales increased for most of its chains in September and it expects earnings for the current quarter to come in at the higher end of its guidance.

An activist investor is seeking to replace all of the board members at the upcoming meeting, according to MarketWatch.

The restaurant-chain operator touted the results as evidence that its own efforts to improve results, especially at the struggling Olive Garden chain, are working. Darden said sales, excluding newly opened or closed locations, at Olive Garden ticked up 0.6 percent in the five weeks ended Sept. 28, versus a 2.6 percent decline a year earlier.

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