Cheesecake Factory (NASDAQ:CAKE) Director Alexander Cappello Sells 2,095 Shares

by · The Cerbat Gem

The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated (NASDAQ:CAKE – Get Free Report) Director Alexander Cappello sold 2,095 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $101.50, for a total value of $212,642.50. Following the transaction, the director owned 4,076 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $413,714. This trade represents a 33.95% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link.

Cheesecake Factory Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:CAKE traded up $3.47 on Monday, hitting $104.89. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,640,389 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,369,998. The company has a market capitalization of $5.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 0.59. The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated has a 12 month low of $43.07 and a 12 month high of $105.18. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $77.60 and its two-hundred day moving average is $66.20.

Cheesecake Factory (NASDAQ:CAKE – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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. The business had revenue of $1.03 billion for 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 45.94%. The company’s revenue was up 7.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.16 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated will post 4.43 EPS for the current year.

Cheesecake Factory Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 25th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 11th will be paid a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 11th. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. Cheesecake Factory’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 32.52%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on shares of Cheesecake Factory from $65.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Weiss Ratings cut Cheesecake Factory from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Friday. Zacks Research raised Cheesecake Factory from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday. Morgan Stanley upgraded Cheesecake Factory from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and upped their target price for the stock from $50.00 to $80.00 in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Barclays increased their price target on Cheesecake Factory from $58.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $79.81.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on CAKE

More Cheesecake Factory News

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

  • Positive Sentiment: Cheesecake Factory delivered a quarterly earnings beat, with earnings per share of $1.44 versus the $1.18 analyst consensus and revenue of $1.03 billion versus estimates of approximately $999.5 million. Revenue increased 7.7% year over year, supporting investor confidence in continued sales and profit growth. A Sweet Beat and a Wearables Rally Came With Reasons to Pause
  • Positive Sentiment: Analysts and growth-focused coverage continue to point to CAKE’s favorable growth characteristics, including stronger operating performance and the potential for earnings to outperform expectations. The company is expected to earn approximately $4.43 per share for the current year. Is Cheesecake Factory a Solid Growth Stock?
  • Neutral Sentiment: Recent articles highlighting the chain’s broad menu, pasta offerings and popularity among diners may support brand visibility and customer interest, but they provide no new financial guidance or material catalyst for the stock. The Cheesecake Factory Menu Is So Big It Breaks Every Restaurant Rule
  • Negative Sentiment: The earnings-related rally could face resistance because some of the reported improvement may reflect non-recurring factors, while margin pressures remain a concern. With CAKE’s valuation elevated after its advance, investors may require continued execution to justify further gains. A Sweet Beat and a Wearables Rally Came With Reasons to Pause
  • Negative Sentiment: Executive Vice President Scarlett May sold 7,978 shares for approximately $819,000, reducing her holdings by 30.4%. A separate filing reported Matthew Eliot Clark sold 68,900 shares. Insider sales do not necessarily indicate deteriorating fundamentals, but they may weigh on sentiment following the stock’s sharp rise. SEC Insider Trading Filing

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Cheesecake Factory

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

About Cheesecake Factory

(Get Free Report)

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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