Victory Capital Management Inc. Cuts Stock Holdings in The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated $CAKE

Victory Capital Management Inc. decreased its stake in shares of The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated (NASDAQ:CAKE) by 31.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,266,532 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after selling 575,207 shares during the quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. owned approximately 2.54% of Cheesecake Factory worth $69,203,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC purchased a new stake in Cheesecake Factory during the third quarter worth approximately $2,743,000. Osaic Holdings Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Cheesecake Factory by 1,041.1% during the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 28,515 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $1,786,000 after buying an additional 26,016 shares during the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Cheesecake Factory by 186.9% during the third quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 43,226 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $2,362,000 after purchasing an additional 28,159 shares during the period. Intech Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in Cheesecake Factory by 131.8% in the 2nd quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 97,055 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $6,081,000 after purchasing an additional 55,185 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Cheesecake Factory by 289.2% in the 2nd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 18,004 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $1,128,000 after purchasing an additional 13,378 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.48% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Cheesecake Factory news, EVP Spero G. Alex sold 4,790 shares of Cheesecake Factory stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.00, for a total transaction of $316,140.00. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO Matthew Eliot Clark sold 7,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $65.70, for a total value of $459,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 44,090 shares in the company, valued at $2,896,713. This represents a 13.70% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 15,376 shares of company stock worth $1,010,219. 8.40% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Cheesecake Factory Trading Down 1.6%

Shares of NASDAQ CAKE opened at $62.99 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29. 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 cap of $3.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.52, a P/E/G ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 0.97. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $59.40 and a 200-day simple moving average of $55.22.

Cheesecake Factory (NASDAQ:CAKE) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 company had revenue of $961.56 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $949.03 million. Cheesecake Factory had a net margin of 3.96% and a return on equity of 45.68%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.04 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated will post 3.71 EPS for the current year.

Cheesecake Factory Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be given a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. This is a boost from Cheesecake Factory’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.27. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 4th. Cheesecake Factory’s payout ratio is 39.09%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company increased 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. UBS Group set a $53.00 price objective on shares of Cheesecake Factory and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Argus reduced their price objective on shares of Cheesecake Factory from $72.00 to $55.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Mizuho set a $75.00 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 research report on Monday, February 23rd. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $61.81.

Cheesecake Factory News Roundup

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?

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.