Cheesecake Factory (NASDAQ:CAKE – Get Free Report) had its target price hoisted by equities researchers at Stephens from $61.00 to $65.00 in a note issued to investors on Thursday, Marketbeat.com reports. The firm currently has an “equal weight” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Stephens’ target price points to a potential upside of 7.97% from the stock’s current price.
A number of other research analysts have also issued reports on the company. Mizuho set a $75.00 target price on Cheesecake Factory in a report on Thursday, February 19th. Robert W. Baird set a $62.00 target price on Cheesecake Factory in a report on Thursday, February 19th. Citigroup boosted their target price on Cheesecake Factory from $74.00 to $75.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on Cheesecake Factory from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Cheesecake Factory from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $64.00.
View Our Latest Stock Report on CAKE
Cheesecake Factory Trading Down 4.2%
Cheesecake Factory (NASDAQ:CAKE – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The restaurant operator reported $1.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.03 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $978.83 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $964.57 million. Cheesecake Factory had a return on equity of 44.74% and a net margin of 4.34%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.93 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Cheesecake Factory will post 4.05 EPS for the current year.
Insider Transactions at Cheesecake Factory
In related news, EVP Scarlett May sold 5,206 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.95, for a total value of $327,717.70. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 25,715 shares in the company, valued at $1,618,759.25. This trade represents a 16.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, insider Ashley W. Hanscom sold 2,951 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $65.64, for a total transaction of $193,703.64. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 11,041 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $724,731.24. This trade represents a 21.09% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 20,582 shares of company stock valued at $1,337,936. 8.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
Institutional Trading of Cheesecake Factory
Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Truist Financial Corp lifted its stake in shares of Cheesecake Factory by 3.0% in the fourth quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 6,187 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $312,000 after purchasing an additional 181 shares during the period. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund grew its holdings in Cheesecake Factory by 1.9% in the fourth quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 10,487 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $529,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System grew its holdings in Cheesecake Factory by 0.5% in the second quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 44,527 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $2,790,000 after purchasing an additional 203 shares during the last quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp grew its holdings in Cheesecake Factory by 3.8% in the first quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp now owns 5,802 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $318,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arizona State Retirement System grew its holdings in Cheesecake Factory by 1.6% in the third quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 13,918 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $760,000 after purchasing an additional 214 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.48% of the company’s stock.
Key Headlines Impacting Cheesecake Factory
Here are the key news stories impacting Cheesecake Factory this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and raised FY?2026 outlook — CAKE reported Q1 EPS and revenue above Street estimates and lifted its 2026 sales/forecast, citing reaccelerating comps and momentum across concepts; management reiterated aggressive growth plans for 2026 (~$3.91B revenue and up to ~26 new openings). Article Title
- Positive Sentiment: Strong earnings call detail — Earnings-call summaries/transcripts highlight record revenue, improving comps and loyalty program traction (Flower Child outperformance noted), supporting the company’s growth narrative. Earnings Call Summary
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts lift targets — Several brokers raised targets after the Q1 beat; Citigroup bumped its target to $76 with a Buy rating (largest upside among the notes), reflecting renewed analyst confidence. Citigroup PT Raise
- Positive Sentiment: Dividend supports income investors — Company declared a quarterly dividend ($0.30/share), giving CAKE a modest yield and recurring cash-return element for holders (ex-dividend mid-May). (No link)
- Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst views — Some firms raised price targets but kept neutral/equal-weight or hold ratings (e.g., Stephens raised PT to $65 but kept equal-weight; Wells Fargo maintained Hold), signaling balanced risk/reward. Stephens PT
- Neutral Sentiment: Operational deep-dive coverage — Coverage on how CAKE manages a very large menu and operations provides color on execution but is not an immediate stock catalyst. Business Insider
- Negative Sentiment: Profit-taking / valuation risk — Market commentary notes CAKE is up sharply YTD, so today’s pullback likely reflects profit-taking and the view that much of the upside from a strong quarter was already priced in. MarketBeat Context
- Negative Sentiment: Balance-sheet & liquidity considerations — The company carries leverage and modest current/quick ratios, which can limit flexibility and raise risk if traffic or margins weaken; investors may be trimming on those fundamentals despite the beat. (Background data)
About Cheesecake Factory
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.
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