Cheesecake Factory (NASDAQ:CAKE) Director Alexander Cappello Sells 100 Shares

The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated (NASDAQ:CAKE) Director Alexander Cappello sold 100 shares of Cheesecake Factory stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $103.04, for a total value of $10,304.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 3,976 shares in the company, valued at $409,687.04. The trade was a 2.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.

Cheesecake Factory Trading Up 3.4%

NASDAQ CAKE opened at $104.89 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.21 billion, a PE ratio of 28.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 1.00. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $78.47 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $66.52. The company has a current ratio of 0.59, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated has a 12 month low of $43.07 and a 12 month high of $105.18.

Cheesecake Factory (NASDAQ:CAKE) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The restaurant operator reported $1.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.18 by $0.26. The company had revenue of $1.03 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $999.54 million. Cheesecake Factory had a return on equity of 45.94% and a net margin of 4.61%.The firm’s revenue was up 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.16 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated will post 4.43 EPS for the current year.

Cheesecake Factory Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed 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. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 11th. Cheesecake Factory’s dividend payout ratio is currently 32.52%.

Key Stories Impacting Cheesecake Factory

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

• Positive Sentiment: Cheesecake Factory’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, with earnings per share of $1.44 versus the $1.18 consensus estimate and revenue of $1.03 billion, up 7.7% year over year. The earnings beat supports the recent rise in CAKE shares. A Sweet Beat and a Wearables Rally Came With Reasons to Pause
• Positive Sentiment: A Zacks analysis highlighted Cheesecake Factory’s same-store sales, earnings growth and broader business performance as factors that could help the restaurant operator outperform the market. Is Cheesecake Factory a Solid Growth Stock?
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent consumer-focused coverage praised the company’s extensive menu and cheesecake offerings. These articles may support brand visibility and customer interest but do not provide material new financial information. The Cheesecake Factory Menu Is So Big It Breaks Every Restaurant Rule
• Negative Sentiment: Several company insiders sold shares after the recent rally. Director Alexander L. Cappello sold a combined 2,254 shares, while EVP Scarlett May sold 7,978 shares worth approximately $819,000. A separate report also cited former director Matthew Eliot Clark’s sale of 68,900 shares. Insider selling can raise caution about valuation, although these transactions do not necessarily indicate weakening fundamentals. Matthew Eliot Clark Sells Shares of Cheesecake Factory
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts noted that non-recurring benefits and margin pressure could reduce the durability of Cheesecake Factory’s earnings-driven rally, making the stock’s elevated valuation more vulnerable to disappointment. A Sweet Beat and a Wearables Rally Came With Reasons to Pause

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently issued reports on CAKE. Mizuho boosted their target price on shares of Cheesecake Factory from $85.00 to $93.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Cheesecake Factory from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Friday. Northcoast Research lowered Cheesecake Factory from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, June 15th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on Cheesecake Factory from $65.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $68.00 price objective on shares of Cheesecake Factory in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $81.00.

Institutional Trading of Cheesecake Factory

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC raised its holdings in shares of Cheesecake Factory by 183.6% in the 4th quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 133,921 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $7,072,000 after acquiring an additional 86,705 shares during the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Cheesecake Factory by 7.2% in the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 503,184 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $25,401,000 after acquiring an additional 33,959 shares in the last quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System acquired a new position in Cheesecake Factory during the 1st quarter valued at about $1,111,000. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its stake in Cheesecake Factory by 140.8% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 26,064 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $1,316,000 after purchasing an additional 15,242 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Intech Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in Cheesecake Factory by 127.7% during the 4th quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 60,513 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $3,055,000 after purchasing an additional 33,936 shares in the last quarter. 94.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.