As the craze of earnings season draws to a close, here’s a look back at some of the most exciting (and some less so) results from Q4. Today, we are looking at sit-down dining stocks, starting with Kura Sushi (NASDAQ: KRUS).

Sit-down restaurants offer a complete dining experience with table service. These establishments span various cuisines and are renowned for their warm hospitality and welcoming ambiance, making them perfect for family gatherings, special occasions, or simply unwinding. Their extensive menus range from appetizers to indulgent desserts and wines and cocktails. This space is extremely fragmented and competition includes everything from publicly-traded companies owning multiple chains to single-location mom-and-pop restaurants.

The 11 sit-down dining stocks we track reported a satisfactory Q4. As a group, revenues were in line with analysts’ consensus estimates.

Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 9.6% since the latest earnings results.

Kura Sushi (NASDAQ: KRUS)

Known for its conveyor belt that transports dishes to diners, Kura Sushi (NASDAQ: KRUS) is a chain of sushi restaurants serving traditional Japanese fare with a touch of modernity and technology.

Kura Sushi reported revenues of $73.46 million, up 14% year on year. This print was in line with analysts’ expectations, but overall, it was a slower quarter for the company with a significant miss of analysts’ EBITDA and EPS estimates.

Hajime Uba, President and Chief Executive Officer of Kura Sushi, stated, “We’re making great progress towards the goals we laid out in our annual guidance. Regarding our goal of sixteen new restaurant openings, we have ten units under construction, on top of the four restaurants opened to date. Our commitment to aggressive cost management has leveraged G&A as a percentage of sales. We were also able to lever labor as a percentage of sales, renewing our confidence in our ability to improve labor costs in fiscal 2026. The first quarter has created a strong foundation for us to build on for the remainder of the fiscal year.”

Kura Sushi pulled off the highest full-year guidance raise of the whole group. The stock is up 25.5% since reporting and currently trades at $69.83.

Read our full report on Kura Sushi here, it’s free.

Best Q4: Red Robin (NASDAQ: RRGB)

Known for its bottomless steak fries, Red Robin (NASDAQ: RRGB) is a chain of casual restaurants specializing in burgers and general American fare.

Red Robin reported revenues of $269 million, down 5.7% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 1.8%. The business had an exceptional quarter with an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates and full-year EBITDA guidance beating analysts’ expectations.

Although it had a fine quarter compared its peers, the market seems unhappy with the results as the stock is down 18.3% since reporting. It currently trades at $2.97.

Is now the time to buy Red Robin? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q4: Texas Roadhouse (NASDAQ: TXRH)

With locations often featuring Western-inspired decor, Texas Roadhouse (NASDAQ: TXRH) is an American restaurant chain specializing in Southern-style cuisine and steaks.

Texas Roadhouse reported revenues of $1.48 billion, up 3.1% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 0.8%. It was a softer quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ EBITDA estimates and a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

As expected, the stock is down 8.7% since the results and currently trades at $166.70.

Read our full analysis of Texas Roadhouse’s results here.

Darden (NYSE: DRI)

Founded in 1968 as Red Lobster, Darden (NYSE: DRI) is a leading American restaurant company that owns and operates a portfolio of popular restaurant brands.

Darden reported revenues of $3.35 billion, up 5.9% year on year. This result was in line with analysts’ expectations. Taking a step back, it was a mixed quarter as it also logged same-store sales in line with analysts’ estimates but EBITDA in line with analysts’ estimates.

The stock is down 1.9% since reporting and currently trades at $196.88.

Read our full, actionable report on Darden here, it’s free.

Brinker International (NYSE: EAT)

Founded by Norman Brinker in Dallas, Brinker International (NYSE: EAT) is a casual restaurant chain that operates the Chili’s, Maggiano’s Little Italy, and It’s Just Wings banners.

Brinker International reported revenues of $1.45 billion, up 6.9% year on year. This number topped analysts’ expectations by 2.9%. Overall, it was a very strong quarter as it also recorded a solid beat of analysts’ same-store sales estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.

Brinker International delivered the biggest analyst estimates beat but had the weakest full-year guidance update among its peers. The stock is down 9.3% since reporting and currently trades at $142.71.

Read our full, actionable report on Brinker International here, it’s free.

Market Update

Late in 2025 into early 2026, there was hand wringing around artificial intelligence. For software companies, the fear was that AI would erode pricing power and compress margins as new tools made it easier to replicate what once required expensive enterprise platforms. Crypto investors had their own version of the same anxiety: if AI agents could trade, allocate capital, and manage wallets autonomously, what exactly was the long-term value of today’s crypto infrastructure?

These concerns triggered a noticeable rotation away from these sectors and into safer havens. But markets rarely dwell on one narrative for long. Spring 2026 came, and the focus shifted abruptly from technological disruption to geopolitical risk. The US’ conflict with Iran became the dominant driver of market psychology, and when geopolitics takes center stage, the script changes quickly. Investors stop debating growth rates and start worrying about oil supply, inflation, and global stability.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our 9 Best Market-Beating Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.