Cheesecake Factory (NASDAQ:CAKE) Insider Ashley Hanscom Sells 2,951 Shares of Stock

The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated (NASDAQ:CAKE) insider Ashley Hanscom sold 2,951 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $65.64, for a total transaction of $193,703.64. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 11,041 shares in the company, valued at $724,731.24. This trade represents a 21.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link.

Cheesecake Factory Stock Down 2.2%

Shares of CAKE stock opened at $63.62 on Friday. The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated has a 52-week low of $42.69 and a 52-week high of $69.70. The stock has a market cap of $3.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.83, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.02. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $58.20 and its 200-day moving average is $55.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 0.47 and a current ratio of 0.59.

Cheesecake Factory (NASDAQ:CAKE) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The restaurant operator reported $1.00 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.02. Cheesecake Factory had a return on equity of 45.68% and a net margin of 3.96%.The company had revenue of $961.56 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $949.03 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.04 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated will post 3.71 EPS for the current year.

Cheesecake Factory Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be given a dividend of $0.30 per share. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 4th. This is a boost from Cheesecake Factory’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.27. Cheesecake Factory’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 35.18%.

Key Stories Impacting Cheesecake Factory

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company weighing expansion plans for 2026 and exploring a rewards/app strategy that could boost repeat visits and off-premise sales if executed well. This signals management is looking to grow revenue channels. Cheesecake Factory Weighs 2026 Expansion
• Positive Sentiment: International franchise push: Cheesecake Factory’s bakery unit opened its first India store in Bengaluru with ambitious multi-year revenue targets — a path to diversify and expand the brand outside the U.S. Bakery opens first India store
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend hike: Company raised its quarterly dividend (to $0.30), increasing income appeal for yield-oriented holders and signaling confidence in cash flow. MarketBeat coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Brand positioning story explains why Cheesecake Factory locations frequently anchor malls — useful context on real estate strategy and customer traffic patterns but not an immediate catalyst. Why Cheesecake Factory is always in the mall
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst-call takeaways/FAQ piece outlines questions investors should watch following Q4 results — helpful for evaluating guidance and margin drivers but not new data. 5 Must-Read Analyst Questions
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple insider sales: CFO Matthew Eliot Clark, EVP Spero Alex, director Alexander Cappello and other insiders sold shares last week (transactions at ~$64–$66). Heavy insider selling is weighing on sentiment and is likely the main driver of today’s negative price reaction. TipRanks insider trading
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation risks flagged by coverage: commentary in recent pieces highlights that while results beat, consensus valuation and mixed analyst ratings create downside risk if growth or margin improvements slow. Valuation risks

Institutional Trading of Cheesecake Factory

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC bought a new stake in shares of Cheesecake Factory in the third quarter worth $2,743,000. Osaic Holdings Inc. grew its stake in Cheesecake Factory by 1,041.1% during the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 28,515 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $1,786,000 after purchasing an additional 26,016 shares during the period. AlphaQuest LLC increased its stake in shares of Cheesecake Factory by 186.9% in the 3rd quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 43,226 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $2,362,000 after acquiring an additional 28,159 shares in the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC increased its stake in Cheesecake Factory by 131.8% in the second quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 97,055 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $6,081,000 after purchasing an additional 55,185 shares in the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. raised its stake in Cheesecake Factory by 6.2% during the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,704,314 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $106,792,000 after buying an additional 99,688 shares during the period. 94.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Stephens cut Cheesecake Factory from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and set a $65.00 price target for the company. in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Cheesecake Factory from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Robert W. Baird set a $62.00 price target on Cheesecake Factory in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. Barclays reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and issued a $58.00 price target on shares of Cheesecake Factory in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Finally, Mizuho set a $75.00 price objective on shares of Cheesecake Factory in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $61.81.

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.