Cheesecake Factory (NASDAQ:CAKE) Insider Sells 3,500 Shares

The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated (NASDAQ:CAKE) insider Ashley Hanscom sold 3,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.00, for a total value of $350,000.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 7,541 shares in the company, valued at $754,100. This represents a 31.70% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

Cheesecake Factory Price Performance

NASDAQ CAKE traded up $1.60 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $102.92. The company had a trading volume of 1,070,892 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,361,410. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $76.79 and a 200-day moving average price of $65.91. The company has a market capitalization of $5.11 billion, a PE ratio of 27.86, a P/E/G ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a current ratio of 0.59, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated has a twelve month low of $43.07 and a twelve month high of $103.33.

Cheesecake Factory (NASDAQ:CAKE) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The restaurant operator reported $1.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.18 by $0.26. The company had revenue of $1.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $999.54 million. Cheesecake Factory had a return on equity of 45.94% and a net margin of 4.61%.Cheesecake Factory’s quarterly revenue was up 7.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.16 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated will post 4.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Cheesecake Factory Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 25th. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 11th will be paid a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 11th. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. Cheesecake Factory’s dividend payout ratio is presently 32.52%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have weighed in on CAKE. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Cheesecake Factory from $66.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 2nd. Morgan Stanley upgraded Cheesecake Factory from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and increased their price target for the company from $50.00 to $80.00 in a research note on Wednesday. Mizuho boosted their price objective on Cheesecake Factory from $85.00 to $93.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Stephens restated a “positive” rating on shares of Cheesecake Factory in a report on Wednesday. Finally, UBS Group upped their price objective on Cheesecake Factory from $53.00 to $60.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $79.81.

Trending Headlines about Cheesecake Factory

Here are the key news stories impacting Cheesecake Factory this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Better-than-expected earnings fueled the rally. Cheesecake Factory reported quarterly revenue above $1 billion for the first time, up 7.7% year over year, while EPS of $1.44 exceeded the $1.18 consensus estimate. The results suggest stronger profitability and resilient customer demand. Cheesecake Factory Trading Higher After Better-Than-Expected Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst and quantitative upgrades are supporting sentiment. Stephens raised its CAKE price target to $93, Robert W. Baird lifted its target to $90, and Zacks added the stock to its Rank #1, or “Strong Buy,” list. A separate analyst upgrade cited improving traffic at the core Cheesecake Factory brand. Stephens Raises Price Target Baird Raises Price Target Zacks Strong Buy List
• Positive Sentiment: Growth initiatives remain intact. Management is benefiting from brand traffic, menu innovation, digital engagement and expansion, including a newly opened restaurant in Florida. National Cheesecake Day promotions and a new brownie-toffee flavor could also support near-term customer engagement. Cheesecake Factory Growth Drivers
• Neutral Sentiment: CAKE declared a $0.30-per-share quarterly dividend, payable August 25 to shareholders of record August 11. The dividend adds shareholder income but is unlikely to be the primary driver of the current move.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and execution risks are becoming more important. The stock has roughly doubled during 2026 and trades near a 52-week high, while the newly raised $90–$93 analyst targets remain below its recent market level. Investors are also watching soft demand at North Italia and inflation-related margin pressure, which could limit further upside. CAKE Valuation and Risks

Institutional Trading of Cheesecake Factory

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its holdings in Cheesecake Factory by 4.6% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 28,742 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $1,399,000 after buying an additional 1,268 shares during the period. Woodline Partners LP grew its position in shares of Cheesecake Factory by 30.9% in the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 92,664 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $4,509,000 after buying an additional 21,887 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its stake in shares of Cheesecake Factory by 8.5% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 109,800 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $5,343,000 after buying an additional 8,592 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its holdings in Cheesecake Factory by 32.0% in the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 1,333 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $83,000 after acquiring an additional 323 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP boosted its holdings in Cheesecake Factory by 5.0% in the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 112,020 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $7,019,000 after acquiring an additional 5,326 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 94.48% of the company’s stock.

Cheesecake Factory Company Profile

The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated (NASDAQ:CAKE) is an American restaurant company and distributor renowned for its full-service casual-dining concept and specialty cheesecakes. Headquartered in Calabasas Hills, California, the company operates more than 200 restaurants under The Cheesecake Factory® brand across the United States, Puerto Rico and select international markets. In addition to sit-down dining, Cheesecake Factory franchised locations offer catering and take-out services, while a separate manufacturing arm supplies branded cheesecakes and desserts to supermarkets, hotels and other foodservice operators.

The origins of the brand trace back to a small cheesecake bakery founded in Detroit in the 1940s.