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Is Cheesecake Factory (CAKE) a Great Stock for Value Investors?
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Value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. After all, who wouldn’t want to find stocks that are either flying under the radar and are compelling buys, or offer up tantalizing discounts when compared to fair value?
One way to find these companies is by looking at several key metrics and financial ratios, many of which are crucial in the value stock selection process. Let’s put The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated (CAKE - Free Report) stock into this equation and find out if it is a good choice for value-oriented investors right now, or if investors subscribing to this methodology should look elsewhere for top picks:
PE Ratio
A key metric that value investors always look at is the Price to Earnings Ratio, or PE for short. This shows us how much investors are willing to pay for each dollar of earnings in a given stock, and is easily one of the most popular financial ratios in the world. The best use of the PE ratio is to compare the stock’s current PE ratio with: a) where this ratio has been in the past; b) how it compares to the average for the industry/sector; and c) how it compares to the market as a whole.
On this front, Cheesecake Factory has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 17.6, as you can see in the chart below:
This level actually compares pretty favorably with the market at large, as the PE for the S&P 500 stands at about 20.8. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, Cheesecake Factory’s current PE level puts it below its midpoint over the past five years, with the number having risen rapidly over the past few months.
Further, the stock’s PE also compares favorably with the Zacks Retail – Food & Restaurant industry’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 26.2. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.
We should also point out that Cheesecake Factory has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 16.9, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for Cheesecake Factory stock in the near term too.
P/S Ratio
Another key metric to note is the Price/Sales ratio. This approach compares a given stock’s price to its total sales, where a lower reading is generally considered better. Some people like this metric more than other value-focused ones because it looks at sales, something that is far harder to manipulate with accounting tricks than earnings.
Right now, Cheesecake Factory has a P/S ratio of about 1. This is a bit lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 3.5x right now. Also, as we can see in the chart below, this is well below the highs for this stock in particular over the past few years.
If anything, CAKE is in the lower end of its range in the time period from a P/S metric, suggesting some level of undervalued trading—at least compared to historical norms.
Broad Value Outlook
In aggregate, Cheesecake Factory currently has a Value Score of A, putting it into the top 20% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes Cheesecake Factory a solid choice for value investors, and some of its other key metrics make this pretty clear too.
For example, the PEG ratio for Cheesecake Factory is just 1.1, a level that is lower than the industry average of 1.8. The PEG ratio is a modified PE ratio that takes into account the stock’s earnings growth rate. Clearly, CAKE is a solid choice on the value front from multiple angles.
What About the Stock Overall?
Though Cheesecake Factory might be a good choice for value investors, there are plenty of other factors to consider before investing in this name. In particular, it is worth noting that the company has a Growth Score of C and a Momentum Score of B. This gives CAKE a Zacks VGM score — or its overarching fundamental grade — of A. (You can read more about the Zacks Style Scores here >>)
Meanwhile, the company’s recent earnings estimates have been pretty encouraging. The current quarter has seen four estimates go higher in the past sixty days compared to none lower, while the full year estimate has seen seven up and two down in the same time period.
This has had a significant impact on the consensus estimate as the current quarter consensus estimate has risen by 4.6% in the past two months, while the full year estimate has increased by 5%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:
The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated Price and Consensus
Despite this bullish trend, the stock just has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) and that is why we are looking for better performance from the company in the near term.
Bottom Line
Cheesecake Factory is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. Moreover, a strong industry rank (Top 35% out of more than 250 industries) further strengthens its growth potential.
So, it might pay for value investors to delve deeper into the company’s prospects, as fundamentals indicate that this stock could be a compelling pick.
Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2018
In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-hold tickers for the entirety of 2018?
Last year's 2017 Zacks Top 10 Stocks portfolio produced double-digit winners, including FMC Corp. and VMware which racked up stellar gains of +67.9% and +61%. Now a brand-new portfolio has been handpicked from over 4,000 companies covered by the Zacks Rank. Don’t miss your chance to get in on these long-term buys.
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Is Cheesecake Factory (CAKE) a Great Stock for Value Investors?
Value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. After all, who wouldn’t want to find stocks that are either flying under the radar and are compelling buys, or offer up tantalizing discounts when compared to fair value?
One way to find these companies is by looking at several key metrics and financial ratios, many of which are crucial in the value stock selection process. Let’s put The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated (CAKE - Free Report) stock into this equation and find out if it is a good choice for value-oriented investors right now, or if investors subscribing to this methodology should look elsewhere for top picks:
PE Ratio
A key metric that value investors always look at is the Price to Earnings Ratio, or PE for short. This shows us how much investors are willing to pay for each dollar of earnings in a given stock, and is easily one of the most popular financial ratios in the world. The best use of the PE ratio is to compare the stock’s current PE ratio with: a) where this ratio has been in the past; b) how it compares to the average for the industry/sector; and c) how it compares to the market as a whole.
On this front, Cheesecake Factory has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 17.6, as you can see in the chart below:
This level actually compares pretty favorably with the market at large, as the PE for the S&P 500 stands at about 20.8. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, Cheesecake Factory’s current PE level puts it below its midpoint over the past five years, with the number having risen rapidly over the past few months.
Further, the stock’s PE also compares favorably with the Zacks Retail – Food & Restaurant industry’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 26.2. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.
We should also point out that Cheesecake Factory has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 16.9, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for Cheesecake Factory stock in the near term too.
P/S Ratio
Another key metric to note is the Price/Sales ratio. This approach compares a given stock’s price to its total sales, where a lower reading is generally considered better. Some people like this metric more than other value-focused ones because it looks at sales, something that is far harder to manipulate with accounting tricks than earnings.
Right now, Cheesecake Factory has a P/S ratio of about 1. This is a bit lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 3.5x right now. Also, as we can see in the chart below, this is well below the highs for this stock in particular over the past few years.
If anything, CAKE is in the lower end of its range in the time period from a P/S metric, suggesting some level of undervalued trading—at least compared to historical norms.
Broad Value Outlook
In aggregate, Cheesecake Factory currently has a Value Score of A, putting it into the top 20% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes Cheesecake Factory a solid choice for value investors, and some of its other key metrics make this pretty clear too.
For example, the PEG ratio for Cheesecake Factory is just 1.1, a level that is lower than the industry average of 1.8. The PEG ratio is a modified PE ratio that takes into account the stock’s earnings growth rate. Clearly, CAKE is a solid choice on the value front from multiple angles.
What About the Stock Overall?
Though Cheesecake Factory might be a good choice for value investors, there are plenty of other factors to consider before investing in this name. In particular, it is worth noting that the company has a Growth Score of C and a Momentum Score of B. This gives CAKE a Zacks VGM score — or its overarching fundamental grade — of A. (You can read more about the Zacks Style Scores here >>)
Meanwhile, the company’s recent earnings estimates have been pretty encouraging. The current quarter has seen four estimates go higher in the past sixty days compared to none lower, while the full year estimate has seen seven up and two down in the same time period.
This has had a significant impact on the consensus estimate as the current quarter consensus estimate has risen by 4.6% in the past two months, while the full year estimate has increased by 5%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:
The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated Price and Consensus
The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated Price and Consensus | The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated Quote
Despite this bullish trend, the stock just has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) and that is why we are looking for better performance from the company in the near term.
Bottom Line
Cheesecake Factory is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. Moreover, a strong industry rank (Top 35% out of more than 250 industries) further strengthens its growth potential.
So, it might pay for value investors to delve deeper into the company’s prospects, as fundamentals indicate that this stock could be a compelling pick.
Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2018
In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-hold tickers for the entirety of 2018?
Last year's 2017 Zacks Top 10 Stocks portfolio produced double-digit winners, including FMC Corp. and VMware which racked up stellar gains of +67.9% and +61%. Now a brand-new portfolio has been handpicked from over 4,000 companies covered by the Zacks Rank. Don’t miss your chance to get in on these long-term buys.
Access Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2018 today >>