CAKE Analyst Ratings
The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated (CAKE) operates in the Consumer Cyclical sector, specifically the Restaurants industry, with a market capitalization near $5.58B, listed on NASDAQ, employing roughly 48,400 people, carrying a beta of 1.04 to the broader market. The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated primarily operates restaurants. Led by David Overton, public since 1992-09-18.
Analyst Ratings
In the October 2026 monthly count, 18 analysts rated CAKE: 0 Strong Buy, 4 Buy, 13 Hold, 1 Sell and 0 Strong Sell.
Twelve months earlier, in October 2025: 20 analysts, 1 Strong Buy, 8 Buy, 7 Hold, 2 Sell and 2 Strong Sell.
Price Targets
- Average Target
- $85.55
- Median Target
- $88.00
- High
- $122.00
- Low
- $60.00
- Targets Published, Last 12 Months
- 36
Recent Price Targets
The 5 most recent of 36 price targets published in the last 12 months.
| Date | Firm | Analyst | Target | Price When Posted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 6, 2026 | Oppenheimer | Not named | $122.00 | $109.03 |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Wells Fargo | Not named | $105.00 | $105.17 |
| Jul 30, 2026 | Argus Research | Christine Dooley | $110.00 | $100.96 |
| Jul 29, 2026 | Oppenheimer | Not named | $101.00 | $89.01 |
| Jul 29, 2026 | Robert W. Baird | Not named | $90.00 | $89.01 |
Recent Upgrades & Downgrades
| Date | Firm | Action | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 21, 2026 | Oppenheimer | maintain | Outperform | Outperform |
| Apr 15, 2026 | Citigroup | maintain | Buy | Buy |
| Feb 19, 2026 | Stephens & Co. | downgrade | Overweight | Equal Weight |
| Feb 19, 2026 | Citigroup | maintain | Buy | Buy |
| Feb 19, 2026 | Wells Fargo | maintain | Equal Weight | Equal Weight |
Quantitative Rating
CAKE carries a model grade of B (overall score 3 of 5), computed from six valuation and financial measures (discounted cash flow, return on equity, return on assets, debt to equity, price to earnings and price to book), each scored 1 to 5. It is not an analyst rating.
How to Read CAKE Analyst Coverage
Sell-side equity analysts publish three primary outputs: ratings (Strong Buy / Buy / Hold / Sell / Strong Sell, or firm-specific equivalents), price targets, and EPS / revenue estimate revisions. Rating consensus moves slowly relative to price; it reflects 12-month directional conviction rather than near-term momentum. Price targets are more responsive but typically drift behind realized price during sharp moves. The most actionable signal for options traders is a cluster of ratings actions across multiple firms within a short window, which compresses or expands implied volatility on a horizon of days to weeks and shifts the put-call skew toward the directional consensus. The recent-actions table above shows the five most recent firm-level changes; longer histories live behind aggregator sources.
For event-driven options sizing, pair the consensus rating and target distribution with the implied-volatility surface and dealer-positioning view. Aggressive target hikes from multiple firms tend to tighten put skew (downside protection becomes relatively cheaper); aggressive cuts widen put skew. The size of the IV response in the hours after a rating change is visible on the per-ticker volatility skew page and the gamma-exposure page, both of which show how dealer hedging propagates the analyst-driven flow into the listed options chain.
Learn how analyst ratings is reported and how to read the data →
Frequently asked CAKE analyst ratings questions
- What is the CAKE consensus price target?
- As of the latest aggregator update, The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated (CAKE) carries a consensus 12-month price target of $85.55. Target ranges run from a low of $60.00 to a high of $122.00. The target is the average of the price targets published by sell-side equity analysts covering the name.
- What is the analyst rating consensus on CAKE?
- In the October 2026 monthly count, 18 analysts rated CAKE, and the distribution is concentrated at Hold: 0 Strong Buy, 4 Buy, 13 Hold, 1 Sell and 0 Strong Sell. Rating consensus moves slowly relative to price; it reflects sell-side conviction over a 12-month horizon rather than near-term momentum.
- What recent ratings actions has CAKE seen?
- The five most recent ratings actions on CAKE appear on the page above. Sell-side rating changes are watched for two reasons: an upgrade or downgrade with a meaningful target revision moves the consensus and can trigger short-term positioning shifts, and the firm-level rating cluster (multiple firms moving in the same direction within a short window) is a clearer signal than any single action. Options markets often price the implied-vol response within minutes of the announcement.
- How do analyst targets affect CAKE options pricing?
- Analyst target revisions tend to be priced in by the lit options market within minutes of publication, but persistent target drift over weeks does correlate with implied-volatility movement. Aggressive target hikes from multiple firms inside a single quarter tighten put skew (downside protection becomes cheaper relative to upside speculation); aggressive cuts widen put skew. The most actionable read is the implied-vol response in the hours after a target change, which is visible on the per-ticker volatility skew page.