Risk Intelligence
Core Model
C−
56 / 100
Insufficient Data
How strong and defensively sound is the company?
Around the middle of the covered universe.
Suggestions
DAR · NYSE
DARLING INGREDIENTS INC
Private betaSector unavailable · Industry unavailable
$65.11
-1.90%
Close on Sep 11, 2026
Insufficient Data
Updated 12/19/2023
Long-term research evidence only. No price targets, no trading signals, no recommendations.
Investment Report Card
DARLING INGREDIENTS INC
Sector unavailable · Data confidence partial
44 / 100
Rank #428 of 1,152 qualified companies
Top 62% · Not Currently Suggested
Long-Term Potential
Research Model
F
39 / 100
Insufficient Data
Does the business have the characteristics needed to create value over many years?
Weaker than most covered companies on this measure.
Fundamental Momentum
Research Model
B
79 / 100
Insufficient Data
Is the underlying business getting stronger or weaker?
Above average on this measure.
Ownership Intelligence
Supplemental Intelligence
A
90 / 100
Positive disclosed activity
What are important owners actually doing?
Among the strongest readings on this measure.
Valuation Intelligence
Research Model
C+
67 / 100
Attractive
Is today's price reasonable?
Around the middle of the covered universe — and valuation is researched separately from the Suggested Investment Score.
Capital Returns Intelligence
Research Model
C−
58 / 100
Favorable Capital Returns
How effectively does the company reward shareholders?
Around the middle of the covered universe — and capital returns are researched separately from the Suggested Investment Score.
Why it stands out
- More disclosed holders are new or increasing than reducing or exiting.
- Attractive valuation: the stock reads 67 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence (Attractive) relative to its own history and comparable companies.
What holds it back
No weakening evidence is recorded in today's readings.
Long-term view
DARLING INGREDIENTS INC scores 39 on Long-Term Potential (F), described by the research model as insufficient data. This describes business characteristics only — it is not a forecast of future returns.
Ownership view
Disclosed ownership evidence reads 90 (A): Positive disclosed activity. 1 tracked managers disclosed a position in the latest reporting period. Ownership filings are historical disclosures, not signals.
Valuation view
DARLING INGREDIENTS INC reads 67 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence, recorded as Attractive. The stock currently trades below most of its own recent valuation history and above comparable companies. This describes the price being paid relative to the company's financials — it is not a forecast and not a fair value. Valuation Intelligence is a research model and contributes nothing to the Suggested Investment Score or the daily ranking.
Capital returns view
DARLING INGREDIENTS INC reads 58 out of 100 on Capital Returns Intelligence (Favorable Capital Returns), reflecting a share count falling about 0.5% a year. Direct capital returns are limited because the company continues reinvesting most of its cash. Capital Returns Intelligence is a research model and contributes nothing to the Suggested Investment Score or the daily ranking.
What changed
No meaningful recorded changes in the stored history.
Risk Intelligence is a core model, Long-Term Potential, Fundamental Momentum, Valuation Intelligence and Capital Returns Intelligence are research models, and Ownership Intelligence is supplemental descriptive evidence. Valuation Intelligence and Capital Returns Intelligence each contribute 0% to the Suggested Investment Score. Nothing here is a recommendation.
Compare DAR with other companiesAppears in
Rule-based membership
Membership means the company satisfied a published rule on the latest research build. It is not a recommendation.
About a minute to read
The 60-Second Investment Brief
Written from stored research readings only. No hype. No trading signals. Just better evidence.
Why it's interesting
DARLING INGREDIENTS INC (DAR) scores 44 out of 100 and ranks #428 of 1,152 qualified companies today. That places it in the top 62% of ranked companies. The stored tier for that score is not currently suggested.
Business strength
Risk Intelligence reads 56 out of 100 (C−), recorded as insufficient data. Around the middle of the covered universe.
Long-term opportunity
Long-Term Potential reads 39 out of 100 (F), recorded as insufficient data. Weaker than most covered companies on this measure.
What's improving or weakening
Fundamental Momentum reads 79 out of 100 (B), recorded as insufficient data. Above average on this measure.
What important owners are doing
Ownership Intelligence reads 90 out of 100 (A), recorded as positive disclosed activity. Among the strongest readings on this measure.
What kind of price you'd be paying
Valuation currently appears favourable: Valuation Intelligence reads 67 out of 100 (C+), recorded as Attractive. DARLING INGREDIENTS INC reads 67 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence, recorded as Attractive. The stock currently trades below most of its own recent valuation history and above comparable companies. This describes the price being paid relative to the company's financials — it is not a forecast and not a fair value. Valuation Intelligence is a research model and contributes nothing to the Suggested Investment Score or the daily ranking.
How the company rewards shareholders
Capital Returns Intelligence reads 58 out of 100 (C−), recorded as Favorable Capital Returns. DARLING INGREDIENTS INC reads 58 out of 100 on Capital Returns Intelligence (Favorable Capital Returns), reflecting a share count falling about 0.5% a year. Direct capital returns are limited because the company continues reinvesting most of its cash. Capital Returns Intelligence is a research model and contributes nothing to the Suggested Investment Score or the daily ranking.
What could go wrong
No weakening factors are recorded in today's stored readings, and data confidence is partial. Absence of a recorded weakness is not evidence of safety.
Bottom line
Its strongest recorded evidence is Ownership Intelligence. Risk Intelligence and Long-Term Potential remain the main area to watch. Separately from the score, valuation reads attractive at today's price.
Composite discovery model
Suggested Investment Score
Suggested Investment Score
44 / 100
Not Currently Suggested
A 0–100 composite discovery score combining Risk Intelligence, Long-Term Potential, Fundamental Momentum, and Ownership Intelligence. It helps rank qualified companies for further research and does not predict future returns.
- Rank
- #428 of 694
- Percentile
- Top 62%
- Ranking updated
- September 12, 2026
—Rank unchanged. Rank unchanged.
- Risk Intelligence
- 56
- Long-Term Potential
- 39
- Fundamental Momentum
- 79
- Ownership Intelligence
- 90
30% contribution
30% contribution
20% contribution
20% contribution
Ownership Intelligence
90 / 100 · Strong · 20% of the Suggested Investment Score
SUPPLEMENTAL / DESCRIPTIVE INTELLIGENCE
Coverage: Partial Coverage
- Elite Investor Activity
- Insufficient Data
- Institutional Activity
- 90 · Strong
- Insider Activity
- Insufficient Data
- Strategic Ownership
- Insufficient Data
50% of Ownership Intelligence · 10% of the total score
No reliably mapped professional-manager filings are stored, so this evidence is unavailable rather than neutral.
20% of Ownership Intelligence · 4% of the total score
Broad institutional evidence from resolved filings is strong.
15% of Ownership Intelligence · 3% of the total score
No discretionary insider transactions are stored for this company, so this evidence is unavailable rather than neutral.
15% of Ownership Intelligence · 3% of the total score
No qualifying major-holder filings are stored, so this evidence is unavailable rather than neutral.
Ownership Intelligence summarizes publicly disclosed activity among professional investment managers, broader institutions, company insiders, and significant strategic owners. It adds context to investment research but is not a validated predictor of future performance. Ownership information is publicly reported with a delay; the latest applicable reporting period is 2026-06-30, publicly disclosed 9/11/2026. Congressional activity is unavailable pending legal review and contributes nothing to this reading.
Why it ranks here
Improving fundamentals
Recent reported business trends rank among the strongest in the qualified universe.
What holds it back
Risk Intelligence is less favourable
Defensive characteristics rank below the middle of the qualified universe.
Long-term potential is mid-pack
Long-Term Potential ranks below the qualified median. This remains a research model.
Ownership Intelligence — Partial Coverage
Only part of the ownership evidence is available for this company. Missing evidence is left missing rather than replaced with a neutral value.
COMPOSITE DISCOVERY MODEL — RESEARCH STAGE · Data coverage Good. Rankings are recalculated daily using the latest available information. Individual components may update at different frequencies based on when new financial and ownership data becomes available.
Researched separately
Valuation Intelligence 67 · Attractive
RESEARCH MODEL
Valuation Intelligence is currently researched separately and does not affect the Suggested Investment Score or daily ranking.
Researched separately
Capital Returns Intelligence 58 · Favorable Capital Returns
RESEARCH MODEL
Capital Returns Intelligence is researched separately and contributes 0% to the Suggested Investment Score, the daily rank or any ranking event.
Score explanation
Why this company scores the way it does
Four research areas carry fixed weights. Each area is compared against every other eligible company, then weighted. The four contributions below add to 44.2 of the stored score (44.2).
Risk Intelligence
30% of the score · contributes 5.9 points
How strong and defensively sound is the company?
Stands at the 20 percentile of eligible companies · stored reading 56 · 13% of this company’s total score
How financially sturdy the company has been when conditions turned against it.
How this area is measured
Risk Intelligence reads stored balance-sheet strength, historical downside behaviour and the company's price-risk grouping. A stronger reading describes past resilience; it does not protect against future losses.
Full methodologyLong-Term Potential
30% of the score · contributes 4.9 points
Does the business have the characteristics needed to create value over many years?
Stands at the 16 percentile of eligible companies · stored reading 39 · 11% of this company’s total score
Whether the business has the durable characteristics long-term owners look for.
How this area is measured
Long-Term Potential reads durability characteristics such as profitability consistency, cash generation and reinvestment capability over multiple reported periods.
Full methodologyFundamental Momentum
20% of the score · contributes 18.6 points
Is the underlying business getting stronger or weaker?
Stands at the 93 percentile of eligible companies · stored reading 79 · 42% of this company’s total score
Whether the reported business results have been getting stronger or weaker.
How this area is measured
Fundamental Momentum compares recent reported fundamentals with the company's own earlier periods, so improvement or deterioration is measured against its history rather than against a forecast.
Full methodologyOwnership Intelligence
20% of the score · contributes 14.8 points
What are important owners actually doing?
Stands at the 74 percentile of eligible companies · stored reading 90 · 33% of this company’s total score
What large reporting owners have actually been doing with their positions.
How this area is measured
Ownership Intelligence reads public ownership filings: how many tracked reporting owners hold the company, and whether they were adding, holding, reducing or exiting in the latest disclosed period.
Full methodology
What is helping the score
- Fundamental Momentum — 93 percentile, adding 18.6 points.
- Ownership Intelligence — 74 percentile, adding 14.8 points.
What deserves attention
- Long-Term Potential — 16 percentile, adding only 4.9 of a possible 30 points.
- Risk Intelligence — 20 percentile, adding only 5.9 of a possible 30 points.
Outside the score
Additional research — not currently included in the primary Suggested Investment Score.
- Valuation Intelligence — DARLING INGREDIENTS INC reads 67 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence, recorded as Attractive. The stock currently trades below most of its own recent valuation history and above comparable companies. This describes the price being paid relative to the company's financials — it is not a forecast and not a fair value.
- Capital Returns Intelligence — DARLING INGREDIENTS INC reads 58 out of 100 on Capital Returns Intelligence (Favorable Capital Returns), reflecting a share count falling about 0.5% a year. Direct capital returns are limited because the company continues reinvesting most of its cash.
Stored snapshots only
What changed
Research-score history available since September 2026.
Stored research history does not yet cover a full 30 days comparison for this company.
A change is reported as meaningful at 8 score points, 5 rank places, or any change of research classification. Nothing here is a recommendation to buy or sell.
Learn the metrics on this page
Plain-English definitions, with the formula and the limitations of each measure.
Fifth research lens · outside the score
Valuation Intelligence
Valuation Intelligence
Is today's price reasonable?
Valuation Intelligence is currently researched separately and does not affect the Suggested Investment Score or daily ranking.
67/ 100
Attractive
RESEARCH MODEL
Excellent coverage
Compared with its history
62
Attractive
Is this company expensive or inexpensive compared with its own history?
Compared with peers
39
Elevated
How expensive is this stock compared with similar companies?
Earnings & cash flow
75
Very Attractive
How much financial output does an investor receive relative to the price paid?
Growth-adjusted
100
Very Attractive
Does the company's growth help justify the valuation investors are paying?
DARLING INGREDIENTS INC reads 67 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence, recorded as Attractive. The stock currently trades below most of its own recent valuation history and above comparable companies. This describes the price being paid relative to the company's financials — it is not a forecast and not a fair value.
Price data through September 11, 2026 · Financial data through the quarter ended July 4, 2026
Valuation history
Stored readings only. The dashed line is this company's own median for the selected measure.
Only one stored valuation reading exists so far, so there is nothing to chart yet. Valuation history builds forward from activation rather than being reconstructed.
Current P/E 17.2x · own median 20.9x · peer median 14.7x
Valuation is inherently uncertain. A stock that appears inexpensive can continue falling, and a stock that appears expensive can continue rising. Valuation Intelligence provides context about the price investors are paying — it does not predict short-term market movements, and it never produces a fair value, a price target or a buy or sell range. Model VALUATION_INTELLIGENCE_V1.
Sixth research lens · outside the score
Capital Returns Intelligence
Capital Returns Intelligence
How effectively does the company reward shareholders?
Capital Returns Intelligence is researched separately and contributes 0% to the Suggested Investment Score, the daily rank or any ranking event.
58/ 100
Favorable Capital Returns
RESEARCH MODEL
Excellent coverage
Dividend Quality
—
Not Applicable — No Dividend
Dividend reliability
This company currently retains rather than distributes cash through dividends. Capital Returns Intelligence therefore places more emphasis on its other measurable shareholder-return behaviors according to the frozen V1 methodology.
Buyback Effectiveness
45
Moderate Capital Returns
Do buybacks actually reduce shares?
Dilution Control
49
Moderate Capital Returns
Is your ownership share protected?
Capital Return Sustainability
93
Exceptional Capital Returns
Can the cash flow support it?
Shareholder Yield
39
Limited Capital Returns
Cash returned versus company value
DARLING INGREDIENTS INC reads 58 out of 100 on Capital Returns Intelligence (Favorable Capital Returns), reflecting a share count falling about 0.5% a year. Direct capital returns are limited because the company continues reinvesting most of its cash.
This company currently retains rather than distributes cash through dividends. Capital Returns Intelligence therefore places more emphasis on its other measurable shareholder-return behaviors according to the frozen V1 methodology.
How returned cash was used
Dividends $0.00 · net repurchases $70.75M · total returned $70.75M · 8% of free cash flow
Price data through September 11, 2026 · Financial data through the quarter ended July 4, 2026
Capital returns history
Stored readings only. History builds forward from activation rather than being reconstructed.
Only one stored reading exists for this measure so far, so there is nothing to chart yet.
Why higher yield isn't always better
A very high dividend yield may reflect a falling share price or an unsustainable payout. Capital Returns Intelligence emphasizes consistency and sustainability rather than simply rewarding the highest yield.
Why buybacks can be misleading
Announced or gross buyback spending does not always mean shareholders are gaining ownership. Companies can simultaneously issue shares through employee compensation or acquisitions. Suggested Investments therefore considers actual share-count changes alongside repurchase spending.
What these terms mean
- Dividend Yield
- The annual dividend relative to the current share price.
- Payout Ratio
- The share of company earnings used to pay dividends.
- Free Cash Flow Payout
- How much of the company's available cash is being used for dividends.
- Share Repurchases
- When a company buys back its own stock.
- Dilution
- When the number of shares increases, reducing each existing share's percentage ownership of the company.
- Shareholder Yield
- A combined view of dividends and net share repurchases relative to the company's market value.
Capital Returns Intelligence describes how a company returns capital to shareholders. It is not a measure of stock-price performance, it does not predict future returns, and a strong reading is never a recommendation to buy. Dividends and repurchases can be reduced or stopped at any time. Model CAPITAL_RETURNS_INTELLIGENCE_V1, contributing 0% to the Suggested Investment Score.
Stored daily snapshots only
Ranking history
| Today | #428 | Score 44 |
|---|---|---|
| 30 days ago | Not ranked | No stored score |
| 90 days ago | Not ranked | No stored score |
| First suggested | Not yet suggested | |
| Highest rank | #428 | |
In the company’s own words
What this company does
Founded by the Swift meat packing interests and the Darling family in 1882, Darling Ingredients Inc. ("Darling", and together with its subsidiaries, the "Company" or "we," "us" or "our") was incorporated in Delaware in 1962 under the name "Darling-Delaware Company, Inc." Darling changed its name from "Darling-Delaware Company, Inc." to "Darling International Inc." on December 28, 1993, and from "Darling International Inc." to "Darling Ingredients Inc." on May 6, 2014. The address of Darling's principal executive office is 5601 N MacArthur Boulevard, Irving, Texas, 75038, and its telephone number at this address is (972) 717-0300.
We are a global developer and producer of sustainable natural ingredients from edible and inedible bio-nutrients, creating a wide range of ingredients and customized specialty solutions for customers in the pharmaceutical, food, pet food, animal feed, industrial, fuel, bioenergy and fertilizer industries. With operations on five continents, the Company collects and transforms all aspects of animal by-product streams into useable and specialty ingredients, such as collagen, edible fats, feed-grade fats, animal proteins and meals, plasma, pet food ingredients, organic fertilizers, yellow grease, fuel feedstocks, agriculture-based biofuels, natural casings and hides. The Company also recovers and converts recycled oils (used cooking oil and animal fats) into valuable fuel and feed ingredients, and collects and processes residual bakery products into feed ingredients. In addition, the Company provides environmental services, such as grease trap collection and disposal services to food service establishments. In fiscal year 2025, the Company generated $6.1 billion in revenues and $62.8 million in net income attributable to Darling.
We are a leading provider of animal by-product processing, used cooking oil and bakery residual recycling and recovery solutions to the U.S. food industry. We operate over 150 processing and transfer facilities in the United States to produce finished products such as protein (primarily meat and bone meal ("MBM") and poultry meal ("PM")), meat products for the pet food industry, blood products (plasma and whole blood), collagen, fats (primarily bleachable fancy tallow ("BFT"), poultry grease ("PG") and yellow grease ("YG")), bakery by-products ("BBP") and hides, as well as a range of branded and value-added products. Darling sells these products in North America and throughout the world, primarily to producers of animal feed, pet food, agriculture-based biofuels (such as renewable diesel and Sustainable Aviation Fuel ("SAF")), fertilizer and other consumer and industrial products, including oleo-chemicals, soaps and leather goods, for use as ingredients in their products or for further processing. In the United States, Darling is a partner with Valero Energy Corporation in Diamond Green Diesel, a renewable fuel producer, which converts used cooking oils, animal fats and other feedstocks into valuable renewable fuels/products, such as renewable diesel and SAF. In Canada, the Company is a leading recycler of animal by-products. Darling's Canadian ingredients business processes raw materials into finished fat and protein products for use in animal feed, pet food, fertilizer and other ingredients. Darling's Canadian ingredients business has a network of six facilities in Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia.
Darling Ingredients International, our subsidiary, is a worldwide leader in the development and production of specialty ingredients from animal by-products for applications in the pharmaceutical, food, pet food, animal feed, industrial, fuel, renewable energy and fertilizer industries. Darling Ingredients International operates a global network of 81 production facilities across five continents, including Europe, Asia, Australia, South America and North America covering all aspects of animal by-product processing through multiple brands, some of which are: Rendac (fuel), Sonac (proteins, fats, edible fats and blood products), FASA (proteins and fats), Ecoson (bioenergy and fertilizer), Rousselot (collagen), Gelnex (collagen) and CTH (natural casings). Darling Ingredients International's specialized portfolio of over 330 products covers all animal origin raw material types and thereby offers a comprehensive, single source solution for suppliers. Darling Ingredients International’s rendering and specialties business has leading positions across Europe, China and South America, with European operations in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Poland and Italy, under the Ecoson, Rendac, Sonac and FASA brand names. Value-added products include edible fats, blood products, bone products, protein meals and fats. Rousselot and Gelnex are global leading market providers of collagen for the food, pharmaceutical and technical industries with operations in Europe, the United States,
Quoted from the business section of this company’s 10-K filed March 3, 2026. Read the filing
Four distinct intelligence areas
The IA view
Risk Intelligence
Production core
56
Fundamentally Qualified
No prior period to compare
Business Quality qualification score from the locked IA Defensive Research Core. Price Risk stays a separate category and is never blended in.
As of Sep 11, 2026
Long-Term Potential
Research model
39
Weak Compounder
No prior period to compare
Durable business economics and reinvestment characteristics. Independent external validation is pending.
As of Sep 11, 2026
Fundamental Momentum
Research model
79
Accelerating
No prior period to compare
Direction and breadth of change in underlying business fundamentals. Not a price-momentum signal.
As of Sep 11, 2026
Elite Investor Activity
Supplemental
—
Insufficient Data
No prior period to compare
Too few tracked managers disclosed a position to describe consensus.
Intelligence history
Not enough stored history to chart DAR yet. A company needs at least two published research or ownership periods before a trend can be shown.
Share price
DAR price history
Closing prices adjusted for splits and dividends, through Sep 11, 2026. Past prices do not indicate future results.
- 6M change
- +15.6%
- 1Y change
- +104.0%
- 3Y change
- +10.1%
- 5Y change
- -15.3%
- Max change
- +130.3%
Last stored close $65.11 · +104.0% over the selected range · 52 sessions shown
Balanced evidence
Why IA likes it
- More disclosed holders are new or increasing than reducing or exiting.
Risk and uncertainty
What IA doesn’t like
- No specific negative evidence is available. This is not evidence of low risk.
What would change our view
- Business Quality falling below the frozen qualification threshold.
- Price Risk moving to a less favorable category.
- A sustained reversal in the Fundamental Momentum research evidence.
- New material public ownership disclosures.
Public filings · descriptive only
Elite Investor Activity
Reporting holders
11
New holders
9
Increasing
0
Reducing
1
Exiting
0
Coverage
Excellent
Positive disclosed activity · Report period 2022-12-31 · Public 12/19/2023
| Manager | Change | Portfolio weight | Rank | Disclosed |
|---|
Insufficient high-confidence manager coverage.
Objective stored changes
What changed
No qualifying changes are recorded for this company in the stored research and filing history.
Ownership timeline
No high-confidence public ownership events are available.
General research only. Not personalized advice. Public filings may be delayed, amended, incomplete, or reflect positions that have changed since the reporting date.