Cheesecake Factory (NASDAQ:CAKE) Price Target Raised to $74.00 at Citigroup

Cheesecake Factory (NASDAQ:CAKE) had its target price boosted by Citigroup from $72.00 to $74.00 in a research report released on Thursday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have a buy rating on the restaurant operator’s stock.

Other equities analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Argus lowered their target price on Cheesecake Factory from $72.00 to $55.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Oppenheimer set a $70.00 price objective on Cheesecake Factory in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Mizuho set a $75.00 price objective on Cheesecake Factory in a research report on Thursday. Raymond James Financial downgraded Cheesecake Factory from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Bank of America decreased their price target on shares of Cheesecake Factory from $61.00 to $56.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $61.63.

Cheesecake Factory Price Performance

Shares of CAKE opened at $62.42 on Thursday. The company’s 50-day moving average is $56.77 and its 200-day moving average is $55.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32, a current ratio of 0.55 and a quick ratio of 0.47. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.11 billion, a PE ratio of 20.33, a PEG ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 1.02. Cheesecake Factory has a fifty-two week low of $42.69 and a fifty-two week high of $69.70.

Cheesecake Factory (NASDAQ:CAKE) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The restaurant operator reported $1.00 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $961.56 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $949.03 million. Cheesecake Factory had a net margin of 3.96% and a return on equity of 47.09%. Cheesecake Factory’s revenue was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.04 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Cheesecake Factory will post 3.71 EPS for the current year.

Cheesecake Factory Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be issued a dividend of $0.30 per share. This is an increase from Cheesecake Factory’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.27. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 4th. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. Cheesecake Factory’s payout ratio is currently 32.73%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Cheesecake Factory

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of CAKE. Woodline Partners LP grew its stake in Cheesecake Factory by 1,059.3% during the third quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 618,056 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $33,771,000 after buying an additional 564,744 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Cheesecake Factory by 24.7% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 2,057,118 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $112,401,000 after acquiring an additional 407,223 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Cheesecake Factory by 214.3% during the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 512,085 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $25,850,000 after acquiring an additional 349,168 shares in the last quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP boosted its position in shares of Cheesecake Factory by 1,583.7% during the 4th quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP now owns 287,219 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $14,499,000 after acquiring an additional 270,160 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Voloridge Investment Management LLC increased its stake in Cheesecake Factory by 54.0% in the third quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC now owns 747,046 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $40,819,000 after acquiring an additional 262,081 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 94.48% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Cheesecake Factory

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

• Positive Sentiment: Raised dividend and buyback authorization — Management increased the quarterly dividend to $0.30 (an ~11.1% raise) and expanded share-repurchase authorization, a direct shareholder-return boost that can underpin the stock. Boosts Dividend and Buyback Authorization
• Positive Sentiment: Top-line growth and unit expansion plan — Q4 revenue rose about 4.4% to ~$961.6M and management signaled up to 26 new openings in 2026; company also nudged FY revenue guidance toward ~$3.9B, signaling continued growth potential. The Cheesecake Factory: A Sweet Treat For Shareholders
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst response — Citigroup raised its price target to $74 with a Buy stance, while other shops (Wells Fargo, Stephens) moved to more cautious ratings/targets; analyst views are split between growth optimism and concerns about valuation/traffic. Analyst Coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Comparable-sales weakness and margin pressure — The namesake Cheesecake Factory brand reported a decline in comparable sales (~-2.2%) and operating margins narrowed (operating margin reported near ~3.5%), which has alarmed investors focused on traffic trends and profitability. Media coverage notes the share-price reaction. Stock Falls on Q4 2025 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Profitability and earnings perception — While revenue rose, several outlets highlighted narrower operating profit and lower net income year?over?year; some investors viewed the quarter as mixed enough to justify selling into the initial pop. Challenging Operating Environment

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.