BRIEF-Darden Restaurants Q3 Sales $2.13 Bln Vs I/B/E/S View $2.14 Bln

March 22 (Reuters) - Darden Restaurants Inc:

* DARDEN RESTAURANTS REPORTS FISCAL 2018 THIRD QUARTER RESULTS AND INCREASES FINANCIAL OUTLOOK FOR THE FULL FISCAL YEAR

* Q3 SALES $2.13 BILLION VERSUS I/B/E/S VIEW $2.14 BILLION

* Q3 ADJUSTED EARNINGS PER SHARE $1.71 FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS

* Q3 EARNINGS PER SHARE VIEW $1.64 -- THOMSON REUTERS I/B/E/S

* QTRLY OLIVE GARDEN SAME-RESTAURANT SALES ROSE ‍2.2​ PERCENT

* QTRLY OLIVE GARDEN SALES $ ‍1,073.2​ MILLION VERSUS $1,035.1 MILLION

* ‍INCREASED ITS FINANCIAL OUTLOOK FOR FISCAL 2018​

* SEES 2018 ‍ADJUSTED DILUTED NET EARNINGS PER SHARE FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS $4.75 TO $4.80​

* DARDEN RESTAURANTS - QTRLY BLENDED SAME-RESTAURANT SALES FROM DARDEN'S LEGACY BRANDS INCREASED 2.0%

* DARDEN RESTAURANTS - QTRLY EARNINGS PER SHARE FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS $1.74 Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: