Insider Selling: Cheesecake Factory (NASDAQ:CAKE) Director Sells $320,850.00 in Stock

The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated (NASDAQ:CAKE) Director Edie Ames sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.95, for a total value of $320,850.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 10,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,069,500. The trade was a 23.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link.

Cheesecake Factory Stock Up 3.7%

CAKE traded up $4.23 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $117.29. 2,179,129 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,943,661. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 0.52 and a current ratio of 0.59. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.84 billion, a PE ratio of 31.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $84.71 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $68.99. The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated has a 1 year low of $43.07 and a 1 year high of $117.97.

Cheesecake Factory (NASDAQ:CAKE) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The restaurant operator reported $1.44 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.18 by $0.26. Cheesecake Factory had a net margin of 4.61% and a return on equity of 43.97%. The company had revenue of $1.03 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $999.54 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.16 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts anticipate that The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated will post 4.43 EPS for the current year.

Cheesecake Factory Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 25th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 11th will be given a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 11th. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Cheesecake Factory’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 32.52%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

CAKE has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Oppenheimer increased their price target on Cheesecake Factory from $91.00 to $101.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered Cheesecake Factory from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and raised their target price for the company from $75.00 to $88.00 in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on Cheesecake Factory from $65.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Stephens reissued a “positive” rating on shares of Cheesecake Factory in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Cheesecake Factory from $76.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $81.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Cheesecake Factory

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its position in shares of Cheesecake Factory by 4.6% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 28,742 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $1,399,000 after purchasing an additional 1,268 shares in the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP grew its holdings in Cheesecake Factory by 30.9% during 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 in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its position in shares of Cheesecake Factory by 8.5% during 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. lifted its holdings in shares of 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 in the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of 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 period. 94.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

More Cheesecake Factory News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Follow-through from the July earnings report appears to be the primary catalyst. Second-quarter revenue exceeded $1 billion, comparable sales rose 5.8%, traffic increased 2.7%, and restaurant-level margins reached approximately 20%—reportedly the company’s strongest level in about a decade. The dividend and share repurchases also reinforced confidence in cash generation. Cheesecake Factory Rises as Strong Q2 Results Continue to Support Shares
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its earnings forecasts across several periods, including Q3 2026 EPS to $0.84 from $0.70 and full-year 2027 EPS to $4.64 from $4.24. The firm reiterated a “Strong Buy” rating, signaling expectations for continued earnings momentum. Zacks Research earnings estimate changes
• Positive Sentiment: CAKE was named to PEOPLE’s 2026 Companies That Care list for the sixth consecutive year, ranking No. 30. The recognition may support employee retention and brand reputation, though its direct financial effect is limited. The Cheesecake Factory Named to the PEOPLE Companies That Care List
• Positive Sentiment: A Zacks industry article included CAKE among restaurant stocks positioned to benefit from steady industry sales growth, value-oriented dining demand, and chain adaptation to consumer preferences. 4 Stocks to Buy as Restaurant Industry Continues to Make Steady Growth

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.