Cheesecake Factory (NASDAQ:CAKE) CFO Matthew Eliot Clark Sells 7,000 Shares of Stock

The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated (NASDAQ:CAKE) CFO Matthew Eliot Clark sold 7,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $65.70, for a total value of $459,900.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 44,090 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,896,713. This represents a 13.70% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Cheesecake Factory Price Performance

NASDAQ:CAKE opened at $65.08 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $58.20 and its 200 day moving average is $55.20. The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated has a 12 month low of $42.69 and a 12 month high of $69.70. The company has a market capitalization of $3.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.20, a P/E/G ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a current ratio of 0.59, a quick ratio of 0.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29.

Cheesecake Factory (NASDAQ:CAKE) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The restaurant operator reported $1.00 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.98 by $0.02. The firm 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 45.68%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.04 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated will post 3.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Cheesecake Factory Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be issued a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 4th. This is a boost 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 1.8%. Cheesecake Factory’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 35.18%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

CAKE has been the subject of several recent research reports. Stephens downgraded Cheesecake Factory from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and set a $65.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Thursday, February 19th. Argus reduced their price target on shares of Cheesecake Factory from $72.00 to $55.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 7th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Cheesecake Factory from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Robert W. Baird set a $62.00 price objective on shares of Cheesecake Factory in a report on Thursday, February 19th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Cheesecake Factory from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Monday. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $61.81.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Invesco Ltd. boosted its holdings in Cheesecake Factory by 13.6% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 2,337,671 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $118,006,000 after purchasing an additional 280,553 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. raised its stake in shares of Cheesecake Factory by 5.6% during the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,800,388 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $98,373,000 after buying an additional 96,074 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Cheesecake Factory by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,785,955 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $90,155,000 after buying an additional 4,535 shares during the period. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Cheesecake Factory by 16.4% in the fourth quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,474,320 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $74,424,000 after buying an additional 207,788 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of Cheesecake Factory by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,213,106 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $61,235,000 after buying an additional 5,910 shares during the last quarter. 94.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Cheesecake Factory News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company weighing expansion plans for 2026 and exploring a rewards/app strategy that could boost repeat visits and off-premise sales if executed well. This signals management is looking to grow revenue channels. Cheesecake Factory Weighs 2026 Expansion
• Positive Sentiment: International franchise push: Cheesecake Factory’s bakery unit opened its first India store in Bengaluru with ambitious multi-year revenue targets — a path to diversify and expand the brand outside the U.S. Bakery opens first India store
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend hike: Company raised its quarterly dividend (to $0.30), increasing income appeal for yield-oriented holders and signaling confidence in cash flow. MarketBeat coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Brand positioning story explains why Cheesecake Factory locations frequently anchor malls — useful context on real estate strategy and customer traffic patterns but not an immediate catalyst. Why Cheesecake Factory is always in the mall
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst-call takeaways/FAQ piece outlines questions investors should watch following Q4 results — helpful for evaluating guidance and margin drivers but not new data. 5 Must-Read Analyst Questions
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple insider sales: CFO Matthew Eliot Clark, EVP Spero Alex, director Alexander Cappello and other insiders sold shares last week (transactions at ~$64–$66). Heavy insider selling is weighing on sentiment and is likely the main driver of today’s negative price reaction. TipRanks insider trading
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation risks flagged by coverage: commentary in recent pieces highlights that while results beat, consensus valuation and mixed analyst ratings create downside risk if growth or margin improvements slow. Valuation risks

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.