Cheesecake Factory (NASDAQ:CAKE – Get Free Report) announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The restaurant operator reported $1.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.03 by $0.02, FiscalAI reports. The business had revenue of $978.83 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $964.57 million. Cheesecake Factory had a return on equity of 44.74% and a net margin of 4.34%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.93 earnings per share.
Here are the key takeaways from Cheesecake Factory’s conference call:
- Strong Q1 results: Total revenues of $978.8 million topped guidance and adjusted diluted EPS was $1.05, with The Cheesecake Factory comps +1.6% and industry-leading annualized unit volume near $12.8 million, driving improved restaurant-level margins and double-digit adjusted EPS growth.
- Rewards app rollout exceeded expectations: The new Cheesecake Rewards mobile app achieved top app-store rankings, strong downloads/sign-ins and early digital-ordering traction, which management expects will drive incremental visits and more efficient, personalized marketing.
- Solid balance sheet and active capital returns: the company ended the quarter with $601.6 million of available liquidity, returned $32.6 million to shareholders in the quarter, and plans to invest roughly $210 million in cash CapEx to support up to 26 new restaurant openings in 2026.
- Mixed concept performance: Flower Child was a standout with +10% comps and 19.6% mature margins, while North Italia saw comparable sales pressure and mature margins declined to 14.8%; management is leaning on menu changes, lunch initiatives and retention to improve North Italia.
- Cautious but constructive outlook: management provided Q2 revenue sensitivity ($990M–$1.0B) and a fiscal‑2026 midpoint revenue of ~$3.91B with expected net income margins around 5–5.5% and low‑to‑mid single‑digit inflation assumptions, but withheld specific same-store sales guidance.
Cheesecake Factory Stock Performance
Shares of NASDAQ CAKE traded down $2.43 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $60.44. The stock had a trading volume of 825,930 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,328,692. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $59.99 and a 200-day moving average of $55.56. The firm has a market cap of $3.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.66, a PEG ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a current ratio of 0.59, a quick ratio of 0.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29. Cheesecake Factory has a fifty-two week low of $43.07 and a fifty-two week high of $69.70.
Cheesecake Factory Dividend Announcement
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
CAKE has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Oppenheimer increased their price target on Cheesecake Factory from $68.00 to $72.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Mizuho set a $75.00 price objective on Cheesecake Factory in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Cheesecake Factory from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Cheesecake Factory from $75.00 to $76.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, UBS Group set a $53.00 price target on shares of Cheesecake Factory and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $64.00.
Read Our Latest Research Report on CAKE
Key Cheesecake Factory News
Here are the key news stories impacting Cheesecake Factory this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and raised outlook — CAKE reported better-than-expected Q1 revenue and EPS, with same-store sales improvement and management lifting its 2026 sales outlook, which underpins upside to estimates. Cheesecake Factory beats Q1 forecasts, lifts 2026 sales outlook
- Positive Sentiment: 2026 revenue and unit-growth target — Management outlined roughly $3.91 billion in 2026 revenue and plans for up to ~26 new openings, signaling continued growth and a clear roadmap for revenue expansion. Cheesecake Factory projects $3.91B revenue with 26 openings in 2026
- Positive Sentiment: Street upgrades — Citigroup raised its price target to $76 and maintained a Buy, citing the Q1 momentum; such a high-profile upgrade can attract buyers. Cheesecake Factory (NASDAQ:CAKE) Price Target Raised to $76.00 at Citigroup
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst support & coverage — Multiple analysts have boosted forecasts and price targets after the Q1 beat, which could sustain interest from institutional investors. These Analysts Boost Their Forecasts On Cheesecake Factory After Upbeat Q1 Results
- Positive Sentiment: Dividend declared — CAKE announced a quarterly dividend (small yield ~1.9%), which is supportive for income-minded investors and signals confidence in cash flow.
- Neutral Sentiment: Mixed/neutral analyst action — Stephens raised its target to $65 but kept an Equal Weight rating, reflecting a more cautious stance despite the beat. Cheesecake Factory (NASDAQ:CAKE) Given New $65.00 Price Target at Stephens
- Neutral Sentiment: Industry/operations color — A Business Insider feature on how the company runs a large menu offers operational context but is unlikely to move the stock by itself. How The Cheesecake Factory Runs One Of America’s Biggest Menus
Insider Activity at Cheesecake Factory
In other Cheesecake Factory news, CFO Matthew Eliot Clark sold 7,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $65.70, for a total value of $459,900.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 44,090 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,896,713. The trade was a 13.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Ashley W. Hanscom sold 2,951 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $65.64, for a total value of $193,703.64. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 11,041 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $724,731.24. The trade was a 21.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 20,582 shares of company stock valued at $1,337,936 over the last 90 days. 8.00% of the stock is owned by insiders.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. California State Teachers Retirement System raised its stake in shares of Cheesecake Factory by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 44,527 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $2,790,000 after acquiring an additional 203 shares during the period. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV boosted its position in Cheesecake Factory by 5.9% during the 4th quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 4,642 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $234,000 after purchasing an additional 260 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its holdings in Cheesecake Factory by 32.0% in the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 1,333 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $83,000 after purchasing an additional 323 shares in the last quarter. Amundi raised its position in Cheesecake Factory by 7.0% in the third quarter. Amundi now owns 8,134 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $442,000 after purchasing an additional 535 shares during the period. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC raised its position in Cheesecake Factory by 661.7% in the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 716 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 622 shares during the period. 94.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
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.
Recommended Stories
Receive News & Ratings for Cheesecake Factory Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cheesecake Factory and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
