Cheesecake Factory (NASDAQ:CAKE) Insider Ashley Hanscom Sells 3,500 Shares

Key Points

• Insider Ashley Hanscom sold 3,500 CAKE shares at an average price of $100, generating $350,000 and reducing their direct ownership by 31.7% to 7,541 shares.
• Cheesecake Factory reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $1.44 beating the $1.18 estimate and revenue rising 7.7% year over year to $1.03 billion. Shares traded near their 52-week high at $102.92.
• The company declared a $0.30 quarterly dividend, equivalent to a $1.20 annualized payout and a 1.2% yield, while analysts maintained a consensus “Hold” rating with an average price target of $79.81.

The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated (NASDAQ:CAKE - Get Free Report) insider Ashley Hanscom sold 3,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $100.00, for a total value of $350,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 7,541 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $754,100. The trade was a 31.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Cheesecake Factory Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ CAKE traded up $1.60 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $102.92. 1,070,892 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,361,410. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.11 billion, a PE ratio of 27.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 1.01. The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated has a 12 month low of $43.07 and a 12 month high of $103.33. The company's 50 day moving average price is $76.79 and its 200 day moving average price is $65.91.

Cheesecake Factory (NASDAQ:CAKE - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The restaurant operator reported $1.44 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.18 by $0.26. Cheesecake Factory had a return on equity of 45.94% and a net margin of 4.61%.The business had revenue of $1.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $999.54 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.16 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 7.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts predict that The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated will post 4.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Cheesecake Factory Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 25th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 11th will be given a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 11th. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. Cheesecake Factory's dividend payout ratio is presently 32.52%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Cheesecake Factory

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of CAKE. Invesco Ltd. increased its position in Cheesecake Factory by 13.6% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 2,337,671 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $118,006,000 after acquiring an additional 280,553 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 4,535 shares during the period. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Cheesecake Factory by 16.4% in the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,474,320 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $74,424,000 after purchasing an additional 207,788 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in shares of Cheesecake Factory by 2.4% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,242,143 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $68,008,000 after purchasing an additional 29,037 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Cheesecake Factory by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,152,174 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $58,170,000 after purchasing an additional 4,577 shares in the last quarter. 94.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently commented on CAKE shares. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Cheesecake Factory from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Cheesecake Factory from $76.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. Argus raised their price objective on shares of Cheesecake Factory from $72.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "hold" rating and set a $68.00 price objective on shares of Cheesecake Factory in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upgraded Cheesecake Factory from an "underweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and increased their target price for the stock from $50.00 to $80.00 in a research note on Wednesday. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $79.81.

Trending Headlines about Cheesecake Factory

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

• Positive Sentiment: Better-than-expected earnings fueled the rally. Cheesecake Factory reported quarterly revenue above $1 billion for the first time, up 7.7% year over year, while EPS of $1.44 exceeded the $1.18 consensus estimate. The results suggest stronger profitability and resilient customer demand. Cheesecake Factory Trading Higher After Better-Than-Expected Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst and quantitative upgrades are supporting sentiment. Stephens raised its CAKE price target to $93, Robert W. Baird lifted its target to $90, and Zacks added the stock to its Rank #1, or “Strong Buy,” list. A separate analyst upgrade cited improving traffic at the core Cheesecake Factory brand. Stephens Raises Price Target Baird Raises Price Target Zacks Strong Buy List
• Positive Sentiment: Growth initiatives remain intact. Management is benefiting from brand traffic, menu innovation, digital engagement and expansion, including a newly opened restaurant in Florida. National Cheesecake Day promotions and a new brownie-toffee flavor could also support near-term customer engagement. Cheesecake Factory Growth Drivers
• Neutral Sentiment: CAKE declared a $0.30-per-share quarterly dividend, payable August 25 to shareholders of record August 11. The dividend adds shareholder income but is unlikely to be the primary driver of the current move.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and execution risks are becoming more important. The stock has roughly doubled during 2026 and trades near a 52-week high, while the newly raised $90–$93 analyst targets remain below its recent market level. Investors are also watching soft demand at North Italia and inflation-related margin pressure, which could limit further upside. CAKE Valuation and Risks

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.

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