Today’s tickers: DRI, MGM, CSTR & RMD DRI  - Darden Restaurants, Inc. –  Investors are dining on both call and put options on the operator of Red Lobster and Olive Garden restaurants today ahead of the company’s fourth-quarter earnings report tomorrow after the close of trading. Shares in one of the world’s largest company-owned and operated full-service restaurant companies are up 0.70% this afternoon to stand at $49.60. The rise in demand for options on the stock helped lift DRI’s overall reading of options implied volatility 13.3% to 31.00% by 1:00pm in New York. Traders gearing up for a post-earnings rally purchased more than 2,000 calls at the July $50 strike for an average premium of $1.05 a-pop. Call buyers make money in the event that Darden’s shares rise 2.9% to trade above the average breakeven price of $51.05 through July expiration day. Bullish sentiment on the stock spread to the August $55 strike where investors scooped up 1,400 calls at an average premium of $0.30 per contract. Traders long the calls profit at August expiration if shares in DRI soar 11.5% to exceed the average breakeven price of $55.30. Of course, investors may be able to sell the calls ahead of expiration if a post-earnings rally in the price of the underlying shifts call premium in their favor. Not all options players are hungry for a rally. It looks like traders positioning for a near-term pullback in Darden’s shares paid an average premium of $1.30 per contract to pick up around 2,400 puts at the July $49 strike. Put buyers profit if shares in the restaurant operator tumble 3.8% to breach the average breakeven point on the downside at $47.70 at expiration next month. More than 9,500 options have changed hands on Darden Restaurants, Inc. as of 1:05pm on the East Coast.…