Victory Capital Management Inc. Has $69.20 Million Stock Holdings in The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated $CAKE

Victory Capital Management Inc. trimmed its position in shares of The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated (NASDAQ:CAKE) by 31.2% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 1,266,532 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after selling 575,207 shares during the quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Cheesecake Factory were worth $69,203,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust raised its stake in shares of Cheesecake Factory by 39.2% during the 2nd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 632 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 178 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC increased its holdings in Cheesecake Factory by 36.7% in the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,357 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $74,000 after buying an additional 364 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased 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 worth $83,000 after buying an additional 323 shares during the last quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd raised its position in Cheesecake Factory by 16.4% during the third quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 1,568 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $86,000 after acquiring an additional 221 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Penserra Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Cheesecake Factory in the second quarter valued at approximately $137,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.48% of the company’s stock.

Cheesecake Factory Price Performance

Shares of Cheesecake Factory stock opened at $62.99 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29, a current ratio of 0.59 and a quick ratio of 0.52. The company has a market cap of $3.14 billion, a PE ratio of 20.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 0.97. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $59.40 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $55.22. The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated has a fifty-two week low of $42.69 and a fifty-two week high of $69.70.

Cheesecake Factory (NASDAQ:CAKE) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The restaurant operator reported $1.00 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.02. Cheesecake Factory had a net margin of 3.96% and a return on equity of 45.68%. The business had revenue of $961.56 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $949.03 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.04 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated will post 3.71 EPS for the current year.

Cheesecake Factory Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be paid a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 4th. This is a positive change from Cheesecake Factory’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.27. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. Cheesecake Factory’s dividend payout ratio is currently 39.09%.

Key Headlines Impacting Cheesecake Factory

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised some near?term and FY2026 estimates (Q1 2026 to $1.03 from $0.99; Q3 2026 to $0.71 from $0.67 and FY2026 to $4.00). These upward tweaks suggest slightly stronger near?term operating momentum that could support the stock.
• Positive Sentiment: The Cheesecake Factory expanded its menu — a product/traffic positive that can lift check sizes and frequency if well received. The Cheesecake Factory’s already massive menu expands with more items
• Positive Sentiment: A Zacks piece promoting CAKE as a “strong growth stock” increases investor visibility and can attract style?focused buyers. Here’s Why Cheesecake Factory (CAKE) is a Strong Growth Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks published a long?range FY2028 EPS projection of $4.78. It’s bullish on longer?term earnings but is further out and less likely to move the stock materially in the immediate term.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks cut several 2027 quarterly estimates (Q1–Q4 2027) and lowered FY2027 to $4.22 from $4.38. Those downward revisions reduce forward earnings visibility and are the primary near?term negative catalyst for the share price.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks trimmed portions of 2026 as well (Q2 2026 updated to $1.20 from $1.26; Q4 2026 to $1.05 from $1.06). Multiple small cuts across quarters can pressure valuation multiples despite some offsetting upgrades.
• Neutral Sentiment: Consumer comparisons (e.g., Cheesecake Factory vs. Yard House happy hour coverage) increase brand/traffic awareness but are unlikely to move fundamentals by themselves. Cheesecake Factory Vs Yard House: Which Chain Has Better Happy Hour Deals?

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CAKE has been the topic of several analyst reports. Raymond James Financial lowered shares of Cheesecake Factory from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Robert W. Baird set a $62.00 price objective on shares of Cheesecake Factory in a report on Thursday, February 19th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Cheesecake Factory from $55.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 19th. Weiss Ratings raised Cheesecake Factory from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, Citigroup upped their price target on Cheesecake Factory from $72.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $61.81.

Insider Transactions at Cheesecake Factory

In other news, 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 transaction, the insider directly owned 11,041 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $724,731.24. This trade represents a 21.09% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO Matthew Eliot Clark sold 7,000 shares of Cheesecake Factory stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $65.70, for a total transaction of $459,900.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 44,090 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,896,713. This trade represents a 13.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 15,376 shares of company stock valued at $1,010,219 in the last ninety days. 8.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Cheesecake Factory 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.