Darden: 4th-Q profit up on strong Olive Garden sales

ORLANDO Fla. Darden Restaurants Inc., operator of 1,702 casual-dining restaurants, said it recorded a higher fourth quarter profit on a 25-percent surge in total sales that was driven by flagship Olive Garden's strong performance.

For the quarter ended May 25, Darden posted net earnings from continuing operations of $103.3 million, or 72 cents per share, compared with $98.5 million, or 67 cents per share, in the year-ago period. Excluding costs and adjustments