Cheesecake Factory (NASDAQ:CAKE) Given New $60.00 Price Target at Wells Fargo & Company

Cheesecake Factory (NASDAQ:CAKE) had its target price increased by equities research analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $55.00 to $60.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “equal weight” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s target price suggests a potential downside of 6.35% from the company’s previous close.

Several other equities analysts have also commented on CAKE. Stephens lowered shares of Cheesecake Factory from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and set a $65.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Thursday. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Cheesecake Factory from $65.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Cheesecake Factory from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Raymond James Financial cut Cheesecake Factory from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Cheesecake Factory from $57.00 to $52.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $61.18.

Cheesecake Factory Stock Up 2.4%

Cheesecake Factory stock opened at $64.07 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32, a current ratio of 0.55 and a quick ratio of 0.47. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.42, a PEG ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 1.02. Cheesecake Factory has a 1-year low of $42.69 and a 1-year high of $69.70. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $56.50 and a 200-day moving average price of $55.05.

Cheesecake Factory (NASDAQ:CAKE) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The restaurant operator reported $1.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $961.56 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $949.03 million. Cheesecake Factory had a return on equity of 46.35% and a net margin of 4.33%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.04 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Cheesecake Factory will post 3.71 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Salomon & Ludwin LLC grew its stake in shares of Cheesecake Factory by 226.5% during the 4th quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 604 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 419 shares during the period. Global Retirement Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Cheesecake Factory by 661.7% in the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 716 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 622 shares during the period. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust boosted its holdings in Cheesecake Factory by 39.2% during the second quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 632 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 178 shares in the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Cheesecake Factory by 973.2% during the fourth quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 880 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $44,000 after buying an additional 798 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arax Advisory Partners acquired a new stake in Cheesecake Factory during the fourth quarter valued at $50,000. 94.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Cheesecake Factory News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.30 (an ~11.1% increase) and boosted share‑repurchase authorization — a shareholder‑friendly move that increases cash return visibility. Boosts Dividend and Buyback Authorization
• Positive Sentiment: Management guided FY‑2026 revenue toward ~$3.9B and Q1 revenue to $955–$970M (roughly in line to slightly above Street revenue expectations), which supports top‑line stability. The Cheesecake Factory Reports Results for Fourth Quarter of Fiscal 2025
• Positive Sentiment: Reported quarterly revenue (~$961.6M) topped consensus and headline EPS beat estimates (company reported $1.00 EPS vs. $0.98 consensus on several reports), giving some fundamental support despite mixed underlying metrics. Q4 Earnings and Revenues Top Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Independent analyst support: William Blair reaffirmed a Buy, citing resilient fundamentals and margin strength — a vote of confidence that can help underpin the rally. Buy Rating Maintained
• Positive Sentiment: Company signaled growth plans (up to ~26 new units in 2026) alongside the dividend/buyback moves — expansion plus capital returns can be viewed positively by growth/value investors. Growth & Capital Return Signal
• Neutral Sentiment: Wells Fargo maintained a Hold, noting balanced risk/reward given the company’s premium valuation and mixed traffic trends — a reminder that upside may be limited absent sustained sales improvement. Hold Rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Management will present at the Raymond James institutional conference (March 3) and released full earnings materials/transcript, giving investors more access to management tone and outlook. Conference Presentation
• Negative Sentiment: Comparable‑sales at the namesake Cheesecake Factory brand declined and operating profit/net income fell year‑over‑year, which pressured the stock right after the print as investors focused on traffic and margin pressures. Comparable Sales Decline
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple outlets highlighted lower quarterly profit and a “challenging” operating environment; those fundamentals-driven concerns explain why some investors sold shares despite the buyback/dividend news. Challenging Operating Environment
• Negative Sentiment: Viral social media content about kitchen activity got attention and could be a short‑term reputational headwind (small but worth monitoring). Viral Video

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.