Cheesecake Factory (NASDAQ:CAKE) Director Edie Ames Purchases 500 Shares

The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated (NASDAQ:CAKE) Director Edie Ames purchased 500 shares of Cheesecake Factory stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 12th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $49.51 per share, for a total transaction of $24,755.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 13,000 shares in the company, valued at $643,630. This trade represents a 4.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Cheesecake Factory Trading Up 3.7%

Shares of CAKE opened at $117.29 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.79, a PEG ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08, a current ratio of 0.59 and a quick ratio of 0.52. The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated has a 1-year low of $43.07 and a 1-year high of $117.97. The company has a 50-day moving average of $84.71 and a 200 day moving average of $68.99.

Cheesecake Factory (NASDAQ:CAKE) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The restaurant operator reported $1.44 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.18 by $0.26. The business had revenue of $1.03 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $999.54 million. Cheesecake Factory had a net margin of 4.61% and a return on equity of 43.97%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.16 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated will post 4.43 EPS for the current year.

Cheesecake Factory Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 25th. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 11th will be issued a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 11th. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Cheesecake Factory’s payout ratio is presently 32.52%.

Cheesecake Factory News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Upward earnings revisions: Zacks Research raised its EPS forecasts for multiple periods, including Q3 2026 to $0.84 from $0.70, FY2026 to $4.36 from $3.87, FY2027 to $4.64 from $4.24, and FY2028 to $5.29 from $4.82. Zacks maintained a “Strong Buy” rating, supporting the view that recent operating momentum can continue. Zacks Research earnings estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Strong latest results remain a catalyst: Cheesecake Factory’s second-quarter revenue reached $1.03 billion, beating estimates, while EPS of $1.44 exceeded expectations of $1.18. Revenue rose 7.7% year over year, and comparable sales, traffic and restaurant-level margins reportedly improved significantly. The company also declared a $0.30 quarterly dividend and repurchased shares. Cheesecake Factory strong Q2 results
• Positive Sentiment: CAKE was named to PEOPLE’s 2026 Companies That Care list for the sixth consecutive year, which may aid employee retention and brand reputation, although the direct financial impact is limited. Companies That Care recognition
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional positioning has been mixed, with some funds adding shares and others reducing holdings. Existing analyst coverage remains cautious overall, with an average “Hold” rating and an $81 price target, well below recent trading levels.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling may temper enthusiasm: President David Gordon sold 31,950 shares for approximately $3.5 million, reducing his direct stake by more than half. Director Edie A. Ames also sold 3,000 shares. Such transactions may reflect portfolio diversification, but they add a cautionary signal after CAKE’s substantial run-up. CAKE insider selling

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CAKE has been the topic of several research reports. Zacks Research upgraded Cheesecake Factory from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on Cheesecake Factory from $65.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Northcoast Research downgraded Cheesecake Factory from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, June 15th. Stephens restated a “positive” rating on shares of Cheesecake Factory in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group downgraded Cheesecake Factory from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $75.00 to $88.00 in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $81.00.

Institutional Trading of Cheesecake Factory

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. purchased a new stake in Cheesecake Factory during the second quarter worth $2,924,000. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Cheesecake Factory in the 2nd quarter valued at $1,042,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. purchased a new position in shares of Cheesecake Factory in the 2nd quarter valued at $127,000. Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new position in shares of Cheesecake Factory in the 2nd quarter worth $434,000. Finally, Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. bought a new position in shares of Cheesecake Factory in the 2nd quarter worth $1,684,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.48% of the company’s stock.

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.