CAKE
Consumer CyclicalThe Cheesecake Factory Incorporated · Restaurants · $3B
What is The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated?
The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated is a mid-cap restaurant operator known for its extensive menu and distinctive dining experience across the United States, Canada, and international licensed locations.
The company operates and licenses restaurants under several brands, including The Cheesecake Factory, North Italia, and Fox Restaurant Concepts. It also runs two bakeries that supply cheesecakes and baked goods to its own restaurants, international licensees, retailers, and foodservice distributors — creating a secondary revenue stream alongside its dining operations.
Founded in 1972 and headquartered in Calabasas, California, the company has grown into a multi-brand restaurant group.
- The Cheesecake Factory full-service restaurants
- North Italia casual dining brand
- Fox Restaurant Concepts portfolio
- Bakery production and wholesale distribution
Is CAKE a Good Stock to Buy?
UQS Score rates CAKE as Below Average overall.
Valuation stands out as the brightest spot in CAKE's profile, rated Good — suggesting the stock may not be pricing in excessive optimism relative to its fundamentals. Quality comes in at Neutral, indicating neither a clear advantage nor a significant drag.
Moat, Growth, and Risk are all rated Weak, pointing to limited competitive differentiation, subdued expansion prospects, and meaningful business risk in a competitive restaurant sector.
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Past performance does not guarantee future results. UQS Score is based on fundamental data and is not a buy/sell recommendation.
Does CAKE pay dividends?
Yes — The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated pays a dividend.
CAKE pays a regular dividend, which is relatively uncommon among restaurant operators of its size. The dividend reflects management's choice to return cash to shareholders alongside reinvesting in its restaurant portfolio and bakery operations.
When does CAKE report earnings?
The Cheesecake Factory reports earnings on a quarterly cadence, typical for US-listed equities.
Given Weak Growth and Risk pillar ratings, recent results have reflected the pressures common to full-service restaurant operators — including labor costs and consumer spending sensitivity. Investors should weigh these dynamics when reviewing quarterly updates.
For the most recent quarter's results, visit The Cheesecake Factory's investor relations page directly.
CAKE Price History
+17.3% over 5Y
Monthly close, adjusted for stock splits and dividend reinvestment.
What if I invested in The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated?
Based on The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated's historical closing prices, adjusted for stock splits and dividend reinvestment. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is for informational purposes only and is not financial advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Cheesecake Factory do?
The Cheesecake Factory operates full-service restaurants across the US and Canada under multiple brands, including The Cheesecake Factory and North Italia. It also runs bakeries that supply cheesecakes and baked goods to restaurants, retailers, and foodservice distributors.
Does CAKE pay dividends?
Yes, The Cheesecake Factory pays a regular dividend. This is relatively uncommon in the casual dining segment and signals management's commitment to returning cash to shareholders alongside ongoing restaurant investments.
When does CAKE report earnings?
CAKE reports on a quarterly basis, in line with standard US-listed company practice. For confirmed dates, check The Cheesecake Factory's official investor relations page, as our data source does not cover specific upcoming earnings dates.
Is CAKE a good stock to buy?
UQS Score rates CAKE as Below Average overall. While Valuation is rated Good, the Moat, Growth, and Risk pillars are all Weak. The complete pillar breakdown is available to Pro members on UQS Score.
Is CAKE overvalued?
CAKE's Valuation pillar is rated Good, suggesting the stock is not obviously overpriced relative to its fundamentals. However, a favorable valuation alone does not offset concerns in other areas — full context is available in the Pro analysis.
What is CAKE's market cap bracket?
The Cheesecake Factory is classified as a mid-cap stock, placing it in the middle tier of publicly traded companies by market size — larger than small regional chains but well below mega-cap restaurant conglomerates.
Is CAKE a long-term quality investment?
As a long-term quality indicator, CAKE's Below Average UQS Score — driven by Weak Moat, Growth, and Risk ratings — suggests limited structural advantages for sustained outperformance. Investors focused on long-term quality may want to review the full Pro breakdown before deciding.
What sector does CAKE belong to?
CAKE belongs to the Consumer Cyclical sector, specifically within the restaurant and dining industry. This means its performance tends to be sensitive to consumer confidence, discretionary spending trends, and broader economic conditions.
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Pro Analysis
CAKE — Score History
| Date | UQS | Quality | Moat | Growth | Risk | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 23, 2026 | 40.1 | 55.6 | 19.0 | 37.5 | 18.5 | 74.6 | 0.0 |
| May 21, 2026 | 40.1 | 55.6 | 19.0 | 37.5 | 18.5 | 74.9 | -0.2 |
| May 20, 2026 | 40.3 | 55.6 | 19.0 | 37.5 | 18.5 | 75.9 | +0.1 |
| May 19, 2026 | 40.2 | 55.6 | 19.0 | 37.5 | 18.5 | 75.3 | 0.0 |
| May 16, 2026 | 40.2 | 55.6 | 19.0 | 37.5 | 18.5 | 75.4 | -0.1 |
| May 15, 2026 | 40.3 | 55.6 | 19.0 | 37.5 | 18.5 | 76.0 | -0.1 |
| May 14, 2026 | 40.4 | 55.6 | 19.0 | 37.5 | 18.5 | 76.9 | +0.3 |
| May 13, 2026 | 40.1 | 55.6 | 19.0 | 37.5 | 18.5 | 74.6 | 0.0 |
| May 12, 2026 | 40.1 | 55.6 | 19.0 | 37.5 | 18.5 | 74.4 | +0.1 |
| May 11, 2026 | 40.0 | 55.6 | 19.0 | 37.5 | 18.5 | 74.1 | -9.9 |
CAKE — Pillar Breakdown
Quality
— 55.6/100 (25%)The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated shows solid profitability with healthy returns on capital and reasonable margins.
How effectively capital is deployed to generate returns.
Profitability relative to shareholders' equity.
Ability to convert revenue into operating profit.
Bottom-line profit as a share of revenue.
Asset productivity — how much gross profit each dollar of assets generates.
Free cash flow relative to market value.
Growth
— 37.5/100 (20%)The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated shows steady but unspectacular growth, typical for mature companies.
Revenue trajectory over the last twelve months.
Compound annual revenue growth rate over 3 years.
Year-over-year earnings per share growth.
Analyst consensus for future revenue growth.
Analyst consensus for future earnings growth.
Risk
— 18.5/100 (15%)The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated presents elevated risk with concerns around leverage or financial stability.
Debt levels relative to earnings capacity.
Total debt relative to shareholder equity.
Short-term liquidity — ability to pay near-term obligations.
Earnings capacity relative to interest payments.
Valuation
— 73.9/100 (15%)The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated trades at a reasonable valuation with decent earnings yield and FCF multiples.
Inverse of forward P/E — higher yield means cheaper stock.
How many years of FCF the market cap represents.
P/E relative to earnings growth — lower is more attractive.
Enterprise value multiple relative to sector median.
Moat
— 19/100 (25%)The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated operates in a highly competitive environment with limited sustainable advantages. The Moat pillar evaluates competitive advantages across five dimensions: Switching Costs, Network Effects, Cost Advantage, Intangible Assets, and Scale & Ecosystem. Sign in to customize moat ratings for CAKE.
Score Composition
Financial Data
More Stock Analysis
How is the CAKE UQS Score Calculated?
The UQS (Unified Quality Score) for The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated is calculated using a proprietary 6-pillar framework with 29 financial metrics. Each pillar evaluates a different dimension on a 0–100 scale, then combines into a single weighted score. Scoring thresholds are calibrated per sector. Momentum is an optional Pro toggle — without it, you get the 5-pillar / 25-metric core shown below.
Quality (25%) measures profitability and capital efficiency — ROIC, ROE, margins, GP/Assets, and FCF Yield.
Moat (25%) assesses The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated's competitive advantages across switching costs, network effects, cost advantages, intangible assets, and ecosystem scale.
Growth (20%) tracks revenue trajectory and earnings momentum, combining historical results with analyst forward estimates.
Risk (15%) is inversely scored — lower leverage and strong balance sheet health result in higher scores.
Valuation (15%) measures whether The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated is fairly priced using earnings yield, price-to-FCF, PEG ratio, and EV/EBITDA relative to sector peers.
Six investor-inspired presets are available, each with different pillar weights: Balanced, Buffett, Munger, Lynch, Cathie Wood, and Graham. The public score shown here uses the Balanced preset. Learn more in our FAQ.