Citigroup Increases Cheesecake Factory (NASDAQ:CAKE) Price Target to $74.00

Cheesecake Factory (NASDAQ:CAKE) had its target price increased by analysts at Citigroup from $72.00 to $74.00 in a research report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “buy” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Citigroup’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 17.80% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently commented on CAKE. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Cheesecake Factory from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Oppenheimer set a $70.00 price target on shares of Cheesecake Factory in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Mizuho set a $75.00 price objective on shares of Cheesecake Factory in a report on Thursday. Robert W. Baird set a $62.00 price objective on shares of Cheesecake Factory in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Raymond James Financial downgraded shares of Cheesecake Factory from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $61.59.

Cheesecake Factory Stock Down 2.0%

CAKE traded down $1.25 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $62.82. The company had a trading volume of 2,072,636 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,418,353. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $56.50 and its 200 day moving average price is $55.05. Cheesecake Factory has a 52 week low of $42.69 and a 52 week high of $69.70. The company has a market capitalization of $3.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.10, a PEG ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a quick ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32.

Cheesecake Factory (NASDAQ:CAKE) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 18th. The restaurant operator reported $1.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.98 by $0.02. Cheesecake Factory had a net margin of 4.33% and a return on equity of 46.35%. The company had revenue of $961.56 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $949.03 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.04 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that Cheesecake Factory will post 3.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Cheesecake Factory

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Salomon & Ludwin LLC grew its position in Cheesecake Factory by 226.5% during the fourth quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 604 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 419 shares during the period. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust grew 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 valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 178 shares during the period. Global Retirement Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Cheesecake Factory by 661.7% in the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 716 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 622 shares during the period. Root Financial Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Cheesecake Factory by 973.2% during the 4th quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 880 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $44,000 after buying an additional 798 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arax Advisory Partners bought a new position in shares of Cheesecake Factory during the 4th quarter worth $50,000. 94.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Cheesecake Factory

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company raised its quarterly dividend ~11% to $0.30 and expanded its share repurchase authorization, increasing shareholder returns and signaling confidence in the cash flow outlook. Cheesecake Factory Boosts Dividend and Buyback Authorization
• Positive Sentiment: Headline Q4 revenue and EPS came in at roughly $961.6M and $1.00, modestly above consensus on the metrics most investors watch; management also nudged FY revenue guidance toward ~$3.9B, which supports upside to consensus top-line estimates. Q4 Results and Press Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Q1 revenue guidance was issued in a range (~$955M–$970M) that largely overlaps Street expectations, leaving near-term visibility mixed — investors will focus on traffic and margin cadence in the coming quarters. Q4 2025 Earnings Call Highlights
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and scoring commentary includes positive momentum/style-score coverage (e.g., Zacks highlighting momentum traits), which can attract quant/trend buyers but doesn’t change fundamentals. Zacks Momentum Write-up
• Negative Sentiment: Underlying operating details were mixed: comparable-sales at the namesake brand softened and net income/operating profit metrics showed pressure, which prompted negative headlines and an after‑hours share drop after the print. Investors worried about margin headwinds and traffic trends may remain cautious. Seeking Alpha: Challenging Operating Environment
• Negative Sentiment: Several sell-side moves trimmed enthusiasm: Stephens cut the stock to equal weight and Wells Fargo kept a Hold/Equal Weight stance (though it nudged its target), signaling cautious sentiment from some institutional analysts despite the buy-side support from others. Analyst Rating Notes (Benzinga)

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.