February 28, 2016 NASDAQ: CAKE CHEESECAKE FACTORY INC BUY A+ A A- HOLD B+ B Annual Dividend Rate $0.80 B- C+ C Annual Dividend Yield 1.58% SELL C- D+ D Beta 0.41 Sector: Consumer Goods & Svcs CAKE BUSINESS DESCRIPTION The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated operates full-service and casual dining restaurants. The company also produces cheesecakes and other baked products for foodservice operators, retailers, and distributors. Weekly Price: (US$) D- E+ E E- F Market Capitalization $2.5 Billion Sub-Industry: Restaurants SMA (50) BUY RATING SINCE TARGET PRICE 52-Week Range $44.16-$58.86 05/25/2010 $58.41 Price as of 2/25/2016 $50.57 Source: S&P SMA (100) 1 Year 2 Years 60 TARGET TARGET TARGETPRICE PRICE$58.41 $58.41 PRICE $58.41 TARGET 58 55 53 STOCK PERFORMANCE (%) 3 Mo. Price Change 4.52 1 Yr. 2.82 3 Yr (Ann) 14.20 Last Qtr 5.43 11.08 12.50 12 Mo. 6.27 15.05 16.66 3 Yr CAGR 5.10 5.79 9.07 RETURN ON EQUITY (%) CAKE Q4 2015 19.79 Q4 2014 18.19 Q4 2013 19.80 Ind Avg 24.45 39.72 22.46 S&P 500 12.28 14.59 13.97 50 48 GROWTH (%) Revenues Net Income EPS 45 43 Rating History BUY Volume in Millions 10 5 2014 2015 2016 0 COMPUSTAT for Price and Volume, TheStreet Ratings, Inc. for Rating History P/E COMPARISON RECOMMENDATION We rate CHEESECAKE FACTORY INC (CAKE) a BUY. This is driven by several positive factors, which we believe should have a greater impact than any weaknesses, and should give investors a better performance opportunity than most stocks we cover. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its growth in earnings per share, increase in net income, revenue growth, reasonable valuation levels and solid stock price performance. We feel its strengths outweigh the fact that the company shows low profit margins. 21.89 29.30 21.53 CAKE Ind Avg S&P 500 HIGHLIGHTS CHEESECAKE FACTORY INC has improved earnings per share by 12.5% in the most recent quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago. The company has demonstrated a pattern of positive earnings per share growth over the past year. We feel that this trend should continue. During the past fiscal year, CHEESECAKE FACTORY INC increased its bottom line by earning $2.31 versus $1.98 in the prior year. This year, the market expects an improvement in earnings ($2.66 versus $2.31). EPS ANALYSIS¹ ($) 2013 2014 Q4 0.54 Q3 0.52 Q2 0.69 Q1 0.56 Q4 0.48 Q3 0.48 Q2 0.59 Q1 0.43 Q4 0.62 Q3 0.50 Q2 0.52 Q1 0.47 The net income growth from the same quarter one year ago has greatly exceeded that of the S&P 500, but is less than that of the Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure industry average. The net income increased by 11.1% when compared to the same quarter one year prior, going from $24.49 million to $27.20 million. 2015 NA = not available NM = not meaningful 1 Compustat fiscal year convention is used for all fundamental data items. Despite its growing revenue, the company underperformed as compared with the industry average of 13.2%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues slightly increased by 5.4%. This growth in revenue appears to have trickled down to the company's bottom line, improving the earnings per share. Compared to where it was trading a year ago, CAKE's share price has not changed very much due to (a) the relatively weak year-over-year performance of the overall market, (b) the company's stagnant earnings, and (c) other mixed results. Turning our attention to the future direction of the stock, it goes without saying that even the best stocks can fall in an overall down market. However, in any other environment, this stock still has good upside potential despite the fact that it has already risen in the past year. This report is for information purposes only and should not be considered a solicitation to buy or sell any security. Neither TheStreet Ratings nor any other party guarantees its accuracy or makes warranties regarding results from its usage. Redistribution is prohibited without the express written consent of TheStreet Ratings. Copyright(c) 2006-2015. All rights reserved. Report Date: February 28, 2016 PAGE 1 February 28, 2016 NASDAQ: CAKE CHEESECAKE FACTORY INC Sector: Consumer Goods & Svcs Restaurants Source: S&P Annual Dividend Rate $0.80 Annual Dividend Yield 1.58% PEER GROUP ANALYSIS 450% PLAY V FA AB OR LE UN R VO FA LE AB -50% 52-Week Range $44.16-$58.86 Price as of 2/25/2016 $50.57 The foodservice industry employs more than 12 million people, making it America’s second largest employer after the U.S. government. Not only is the industry huge, it’s growing, as factors - such as a rise in two-income households - have been leading to increasing levels of dining out. In recent years, restaurant sales have risen roughly 5% annually according to National Restaurant Association estimates. However, despite its growth rate, the industry should be seen as mature. Companies within the industry generally earn thin margins and face stiff competition. As a result, M&A activity is frequent as competitors look to spread fixed costs across more locations. BWLD TXRH CAKE JACK WEN PZZA BLMN EAT 5% CBRL DIN 40% EBITDA Margin (TTM) Companies with higher EBITDA margins and revenue growth rates are outperforming companies with lower EBITDA margins and revenue growth rates. Companies for this scatter plot have a market capitalization between $1.5 Billion and $3.5 Billion. Companies with NA or NM values do not appear. *EBITDA – Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization. REVENUE GROWTH AND EARNINGS YIELD 450% Market Capitalization $2.5 Billion INDUSTRY ANALYSIS The hotels, restaurant, and leisure industry consists of hotels, restaurants, casinos, cruise lines, resorts, and theme parks. Demand is driven by a fairly consistent group of factors throughout the whole of the industry: personal income levels, total employment, and consumer confidence. In recent years, catastrophic weather, fear of terrorism, and health epidemics directly impacted the industry in a material way. The industry is capital, marketing, personnel, energy, maintenance, and technology intensive. Major players include Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG), Marriott International Inc. (MAR), Las Vegas Sands (LVS), MGM Resorts International (MGM), McDonald’s (MCD), and Yum! Brands (YUM). REVENUE GROWTH AND EBITDA MARGIN* Revenue Growth (TTM) Beta 0.41 PLAY Both tourism and business travel remain vital to the industry, and as a result, U.S. GDP growth, consumer confidence, and corporate earnings remain vital to the industry’s success. The expansion in capital spending has been in response to projected demand. However, overdevelopment in certain areas is a concern. Looking forward, any prolonged low occupancy rates could threaten hotels that are heavily leveraged. As for metrics, occupancy, average daily room rate, and revenue per available room should be considered when analyzing the industry or a player within the industry. Casinos generate roughly $68 billion in revenues annually, and typically, 50% of a casino hotel’s revenues come from gaming, 20% from hotel rooms, 15% from food and beverages, and 15% from retail stores, shows, and other entertainment offerings. Expansion and consolidation have been recent trends of note. In 2005 alone, MGM Resorts International purchased Mandalay Resort Group for close to $8 billion and Harrah’s bought Caesars for over $9 billion. Recent years have also seen a good amount of new casino construction in the $700 million range as competitors jockey to attract visitors by providing more elaborate offerings. Looking ahead, further capacity expansion may threaten margins. Meanwhile, most of the industry’s top-line growth has come from Native American casinos, which at present generate roughly $16 billion in revenues annually. V FA AB OR PEER GROUP: Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure R VO FA -50% LE AB Revenue Growth (TTM) LE UN BWLD PZZA JACK TXRH 3% DIN CBRL EAT CAKE WEN BLMN 6.5% Earnings Yield (TTM) Companies that exhibit both a high earnings yield and high revenue growth are generally more attractive than companies with low revenue growth and low earnings yield. Companies for this scatter plot have revenue growth rates between -6.4% and 413.7%. Companies with NA or NM values do not appear. Ticker CAKE CBRL BWLD TXRH EAT WEN JACK PZZA BLMN DIN PLAY Recent Company Name Price ($) CHEESECAKE FACTORY INC 50.57 CRACKER BARREL OLD CTRY STO 147.90 BUFFALO WILD WINGS INC 159.20 TEXAS ROADHOUSE INC 42.57 BRINKER INTL INC 51.12 WENDY'S CO 9.40 JACK IN THE BOX INC 69.29 PAPA JOHNS INTERNATIONAL INC 59.03 BLOOMIN' BRANDS INC 17.15 DINEEQUITY INC 96.96 DAVE & BUSTER'S ENTMT INC 36.66 Market Cap ($M) 2,487 3,541 3,012 2,986 2,919 2,557 2,403 2,227 2,046 1,796 1,522 Price/ Earnings 21.89 20.69 32.10 31.07 15.59 20.00 23.49 31.23 17.15 17.63 30.81 Net Sales TTM ($M) 2,100.61 2,869.52 1,812.72 1,807.37 3,099.53 1,870.30 1,542.52 1,637.38 4,377.68 681.10 839.84 Net Income TTM ($M) 116.52 171.82 95.07 96.89 203.55 161.14 106.20 75.68 127.33 104.92 51.33 The peer group comparison is based on Major Restaurants companies of comparable size. This report is for information purposes only and should not be considered a solicitation to buy or sell any security. Neither TheStreet Ratings nor any other party guarantees its accuracy or makes warranties regarding results from its usage. Redistribution is prohibited without the express written consent of TheStreet Ratings. Copyright(c) 2006-2015. All rights reserved. Report Date: February 28, 2016 PAGE 2 February 28, 2016 NASDAQ: CAKE CHEESECAKE FACTORY INC Sector: Consumer Goods & Svcs Restaurants Source: S&P Annual Dividend Rate $0.80 Annual Dividend Yield 1.58% COMPANY DESCRIPTION The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated operates full-service and casual dining restaurants. The company also produces cheesecakes and other baked products for foodservice operators, retailers, and distributors. As of December 8, 2015, it owned and operated 200 full-service casual dining restaurants, including 187 restaurants under The Cheesecake Factory mark, 12 restaurants under the Grand Lux Cafe mark, and 1 restaurant under the RockSugar Pan Asian Kitchen mark in the United States and Puerto Rico, as well as operated 11 The Cheesecake Factory branded restaurants under licensing agreements internationally. The company was founded in 1972 and is based in Calabasas Hills, California. CHEESECAKE FACTORY INC 26901 Malibu Hills Road Calabasas Hills, CA 91301 USA Phone: 818-871-3000 http://www.thecheesecakefactory.com Beta 0.41 Market Capitalization $2.5 Billion 52-Week Range $44.16-$58.86 Price as of 2/25/2016 $50.57 STOCK-AT-A-GLANCE Below is a summary of the major fundamental and technical factors we consider when determining our overall recommendation of CAKE shares. It is provided in order to give you a deeper understanding of our rating methodology as well as to paint a more complete picture of a stock's strengths and weaknesses. It is important to note, however, that these factors only tell part of the story. To gain an even more comprehensive understanding of our stance on the stock, these factors must be assessed in combination with the stock’s valuation. Please refer to our Valuation section on page 5 for further information. FACTOR SCORE 4.5 Growth out of 5 stars weak Measures the growth of both the company's income statement and cash flow. On this factor, CAKE has a growth score better than 80% of the stocks we rate. strong 4.5 Total Return out of 5 stars weak Measures the historical price movement of the stock. The stock performance of this company has beaten 80% of the companies we cover. strong 5.0 Efficiency out of 5 stars weak Measures the strength and historic growth of a company's return on invested capital. The company has generated more income per dollar of capital than 90% of the companies we review. strong 4.5 Price volatility out of 5 stars weak Measures the volatility of the company's stock price historically. The stock is less volatile than 80% of the stocks we monitor. strong 5.0 Solvency out of 5 stars weak Measures the solvency of the company based on several ratios. The company is more solvent than 90% of the companies we analyze. strong 3.5 Income out of 5 stars weak Measures dividend yield and payouts to shareholders. The company's dividend is higher than 60% of the companies we track. strong THESTREET RATINGS RESEARCH METHODOLOGY TheStreet Ratings' stock model projects a stock's total return potential over a 12-month period including both price appreciation and dividends. Our Buy, Hold or Sell ratings designate how we expect these stocks to perform against a general benchmark of the equities market and interest rates. While our model is quantitative, it utilizes both subjective and objective elements. For instance, subjective elements include expected equities market returns, future interest rates, implied industry outlook and forecasted company earnings. Objective elements include volatility of past operating revenues, financial strength, and company cash flows. Our model gauges the relationship between risk and reward in several ways, including: the pricing drawdown as compared to potential profit volatility, i.e.how much one is willing to risk in order to earn profits; the level of acceptable volatility for highly performing stocks; the current valuation as compared to projected earnings growth; and the financial strength of the underlying company as compared to its stock's valuation as compared to projected earnings growth; and the financial strength of the underlying company as compared to its stock's performance. These and many more derived observations are then combined, ranked, weighted, and scenario-tested to create a more complete analysis. The result is a systematic and disciplined method of selecting stocks. This report is for information purposes only and should not be considered a solicitation to buy or sell any security. Neither TheStreet Ratings nor any other party guarantees its accuracy or makes warranties regarding results from its usage. Redistribution is prohibited without the express written consent of TheStreet Ratings. Copyright(c) 2006-2015. All rights reserved. Report Date: February 28, 2016 PAGE 3 February 28, 2016 NASDAQ: CAKE CHEESECAKE FACTORY INC Sector: Consumer Goods & Svcs Restaurants Source: S&P Annual Dividend Rate $0.80 Annual Dividend Yield 1.58% Consensus EPS Estimates² ($) IBES consensus estimates are provided by Thomson Financial Beta 0.41 Market Capitalization $2.5 Billion 52-Week Range $44.16-$58.86 Price as of 2/25/2016 $50.57 FINANCIAL ANALYSIS CHEESECAKE FACTORY INC's gross profit margin for the fourth quarter of its fiscal year 2015 has increased when compared to the same period a year ago. The company has grown sales and net income during the past quarter when compared with the same quarter a year ago, however, it was unable to keep up with the growth of the average competitor within its industry. During the same period, stockholders' equity ("net worth") has increased by 5.75% from the same quarter last year. 0.61 2.66 E 2.95 E Q1 FY16 2016(E) 2017(E) STOCKS TO BUY: TheStreet Quant Ratings has identified a handful of stocks that can potentially TRIPLE in the next 12-months. To learn more visit www.TheStreetRatings.com. INCOME STATEMENT Net Sales ($mil) EBITDA ($mil) EBIT ($mil) Net Income ($mil) Q4 FY15 526.84 60.71 38.80 27.20 Q4 FY14 499.67 55.91 34.79 24.49 Q4 FY15 NA 1,233.35 NA 588.54 Q4 FY14 58.02 1,176.45 77.17 556.51 Q4 FY15 19.64% 11.52% 7.36% 1.70 9.44% 19.79% Q4 FY14 18.14% 11.18% 6.96% 1.68 8.60% 18.19% Q4 FY15 NA NA NA NA Q4 FY14 0.74 0.12 NA NA Q4 FY15 49 0.20 0.54 11.94 NA 731,857 Q4 FY14 50 0.17 0.48 11.16 NA 643,325 BALANCE SHEET Cash & Equiv. ($mil) Total Assets ($mil) Total Debt ($mil) Equity ($mil) PROFITABILITY Gross Profit Margin EBITDA Margin Operating Margin Sales Turnover Return on Assets Return on Equity DEBT Current Ratio Debt/Capital Interest Expense Interest Coverage SHARE DATA Shares outstanding (mil) Div / share EPS Book value / share Institutional Own % Avg Daily Volume 2 Sum of quarterly figures may not match annual estimates due to use of median consensus estimates. This report is for information purposes only and should not be considered a solicitation to buy or sell any security. Neither TheStreet Ratings nor any other party guarantees its accuracy or makes warranties regarding results from its usage. Redistribution is prohibited without the express written consent of TheStreet Ratings. Copyright(c) 2006-2015. All rights reserved. Report Date: February 28, 2016 PAGE 4 February 28, 2016 NASDAQ: CAKE CHEESECAKE FACTORY INC Sector: Consumer Goods & Svcs Restaurants Source: S&P Annual Dividend Rate $0.80 Annual Dividend Yield 1.58% RATINGS HISTORY Our rating for CHEESECAKE FACTORY INC has not changed since 5/25/2010. As of 2/25/2016, the stock was trading at a price of $50.57 which is 14.1% below its 52-week high of $58.86 and 14.5% above its 52-week low of $44.16. BUY: $47.32 2 Year Chart Beta 0.41 Market Capitalization $2.5 Billion $60 $55 Price/Earnings $50 $45 2015 MOST RECENT RATINGS CHANGES Date Price Action 2/25/14 $47.32 No Change From Buy To Buy Price reflects the closing price as of the date listed, if available RATINGS DEFINITIONS & DISTRIBUTION OF THESTREET RATINGS 1 2 3 4 5 CAKE 21.89 Peers 29.30 • Discount. A lower P/E ratio than its peers can signify a less expensive stock or lower growth expectations. • CAKE is trading at a significant discount to its peers. Price/Projected Earnings 1 2 3 premium 4 5 35.29% Hold - We do not believe this stock offers conclusive evidence to warrant the purchase or sale of shares at this time and that its likelihood of positive total return is roughly in balance with the risk of loss. 32.52% Sell - We believe that this stock is likely to decline by more than 10% over the next 12 months, with the risk involved too great to compensate for any possible returns. Research Contact: 212-321-5381 Sales Contact: 866-321-8726 1 2 3 premium 4 5 Price/Sales 1 2 premium 3 4 5 Price to Earnings/Growth 4 5 discount 1 2 3 premium 4 5 discount CAKE 0.61 Peers 2.95 • Discount. The PEG ratio is the stock’s P/E divided by the consensus estimate of long-term earnings growth. Faster growth can justify higher price multiples. • CAKE trades at a significant discount to its peers. Earnings Growth 1 2 3 4 lower 5 higher CAKE 16.66 Peers 22.69 • Lower. Elevated earnings growth rates can lead to capital appreciation and justify higher price-to-earnings ratios. • However, CAKE is expected to significantly trail its peers on the basis of its earnings growth rate. Sales Growth discount CAKE 1.19 Peers 2.96 • Discount. In the absence of P/E and P/B multiples, the price-to-sales ratio can display the value investors are placing on each dollar of sales. • CAKE is trading at a significant discount to its industry on this measurement. 3 CAKE NA Peers 14.94 • Neutral. The P/CF ratio is the stock’s price divided by the sum of the company's cash flow from operations. It is useful for comparing companies with different capital requirements or financing structures. • Ratio not available. discount CAKE 4.24 Peers 12.45 • Discount. A lower price-to-book ratio makes a stock more attractive to investors seeking stocks with lower market values per dollar of equity on the balance sheet. • CAKE is trading at a significant discount to its peers. 2 premium discount CAKE 17.14 Peers 24.01 • Discount. A lower price-to-projected earnings ratio than its peers can signify a less expensive stock or lower future growth expectations. • CAKE is trading at a discount to its peers. Price/Book 32.19% Buy - We believe that this stock has the opportunity to appreciate and produce a total return of more than 10% over the next 12 months. 1 Price/CashFlow discount (as of 2/25/2016) TheStreet Ratings 14 Wall Street, 15th Floor New York, NY 10005 www.thestreet.com Price as of 2/25/2016 $50.57 VALUATION BUY. CHEESECAKE FACTORY INC's P/E ratio indicates a discount compared to an average of 29.30 for the Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure industry and a value on par with the S&P 500 average of 21.53. To use another comparison, its price-to-book ratio of 4.24 indicates a significant premium versus the S&P 500 average of 2.56 and a significant discount versus the industry average of 12.45. The price-to-sales ratio is well below both the S&P 500 average and the industry average, indicating a discount. Upon assessment of these and other key valuation criteria, CHEESECAKE FACTORY INC proves to trade at a discount to investment alternatives within the industry. premium 2014 52-Week Range $44.16-$58.86 1 2 3 lower 4 5 higher CAKE 6.27 Peers 7.04 • Lower. A sales growth rate that trails the industry implies that a company is losing market share. • CAKE trails its peers on the basis of sales growth DISCLAIMER: The opinions and information contained herein have been obtained or derived from sources believed to be reliable, but TheStreet Ratings cannot guarantee its accuracy and completeness, and that of the opinions based thereon. Data is provided via the COMPUSTAT® Xpressfeed product from Standard &Poor's, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., as well as other third-party data providers. TheStreet Ratings is a division of TheStreet, Inc., which is a publisher. This research report contains opinions and is provided for informational purposes only. You should not rely solely upon the research herein for purposes of transacting securities or other investments, and you are encouraged to conduct your own research and due diligence, and to seek the advice of a qualified securities professional, before you make any investment. None of the information contained in this report constitutes, or is intended to constitute a recommendation by TheStreet Ratings of any particular security or trading strategy or a determination by TheStreet Ratings that any security or trading strategy is suitable for any specific person. To the extent any of the information contained herein may be deemed to be investment advice, such information is impersonal and not tailored to the investment needs of any specific person. Your use of this report is governed by TheStreet, Inc.'s Terms of Use found at http://www.thestreet.com/static/about/terms-of-use.html. This report is for information purposes only and should not be considered a solicitation to buy or sell any security. Neither TheStreet Ratings nor any other party guarantees its accuracy or makes warranties regarding results from its usage. Redistribution is prohibited without the express written consent of TheStreet Ratings. Copyright(c) 2006-2015. All rights reserved. Report Date: February 28, 2016 PAGE 5