Insider Selling: Cheesecake Factory (NASDAQ:CAKE) Director Sells 3,000 Shares of Stock

Key Points

• Cheesecake Factory director Edie Ames sold 3,000 shares at an average price of $106.95, generating $320,850 and reducing her direct ownership by 23.08% to 10,000 shares.
• CAKE shares rose 3.7% to $117.29, near their one-year high, after the company exceeded quarterly earnings and revenue expectations; revenue increased 7.7% year over year.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.30 per share, equivalent to $1.20 annually and a 1.0% yield, while analysts maintained an overall “Hold” consensus with an average price target of $81.

The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated (NASDAQ:CAKE - Get Free Report) Director Edie Ames sold 3,000 shares of Cheesecake Factory stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.95, for a total transaction of $320,850.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 10,000 shares in the company, valued at $1,069,500. This trade represents a 23.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Cheesecake Factory Trading Up 3.7%

Cheesecake Factory stock traded up $4.23 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $117.29. The stock had a trading volume of 2,179,129 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,943,661. The stock has a market cap of $5.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.79, a P/E/G ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a quick ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $84.71 and its 200-day simple moving average is $68.99. The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated has a one year low of $43.07 and a one year high of $117.97.

Cheesecake Factory (NASDAQ:CAKE - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The restaurant operator reported $1.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.18 by $0.26. The firm had revenue of $1.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations 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 was up 7.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.16 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated will post 4.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Cheesecake Factory Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 25th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 11th will be paid 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 1.0%. Cheesecake Factory's dividend payout ratio is presently 32.52%.

Key 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

Analyst Ratings Changes

CAKE has been the topic of several analyst reports. Oppenheimer upped their target price on Cheesecake Factory from $91.00 to $101.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Cheesecake Factory from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Cheesecake Factory from $65.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "hold" rating and set a $68.00 price objective on shares of Cheesecake Factory in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Argus increased their price target on Cheesecake Factory from $72.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Cheesecake Factory has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $81.00.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its position in shares of Cheesecake Factory by 4.6% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 28,742 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $1,399,000 after acquiring an additional 1,268 shares in the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP lifted its position in Cheesecake Factory by 30.9% in the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 92,664 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $4,509,000 after acquiring an additional 21,887 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its position in Cheesecake Factory by 8.5% in the 1st 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 acquiring an additional 8,592 shares in the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its stake in Cheesecake Factory by 32.0% during 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 during the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP boosted its stake in Cheesecake Factory by 5.0% during the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 112,020 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $7,019,000 after purchasing an additional 5,326 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.48% of the company's stock.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

Continue following MarketBeat

Add MarketBeat as your preferred source on Google to see our latest stories in your feed.

Add As Preferred Source