Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Should Value Investors Buy The Cheesecake Factory (CAKE) Stock?

Read MoreHide Full Article

The proven Zacks Rank system focuses on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find winning stocks. Nevertheless, we know that our readers all have their own perspectives, so we are always looking at the latest trends in value, growth, and momentum to find strong picks.

Considering these trends, value investing is clearly one of the most preferred ways to find strong stocks in any type of market. Value investors use tried-and-true metrics and fundamental analysis to find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels.

Zacks has developed the innovative Style Scores system to highlight stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will be interested in stocks with great grades in the "Value" category. When paired with a high Zacks Rank, "A" grades in the Value category are among the strongest value stocks on the market today.

One stock to keep an eye on is The Cheesecake Factory (CAKE - Free Report) . CAKE is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and an A for Value. The stock is trading with a P/E ratio of 13.82, which compares to its industry's average of 25.83. Over the last 12 months, CAKE's Forward P/E has been as high as 13.82 and as low as 10.04, with a median of 11.36.

CAKE is also sporting a PEG ratio of 1.25. This popular figure is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also considers a company's expected EPS growth rate. CAKE's industry currently sports an average PEG of 1.84. Within the past year, CAKE's PEG has been as high as 1.25 and as low as 0.49, with a median of 1.05.

Value investors also use the P/S ratio. The P/S ratio is is calculated as price divided by sales. This is a popular metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement, so they are often considered a better performance indicator. CAKE has a P/S ratio of 0.68. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 0.97.

Finally, we should also recognize that CAKE has a P/CF ratio of 10.75. This metric takes into account a company's operating cash flow and can be used to find stocks that are undervalued based on their solid cash outlook. This company's current P/CF looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/CF of 22.12. CAKE's P/CF has been as high as 10.75 and as low as 7.85, with a median of 8.85, all within the past year.

These are just a handful of the figures considered in The Cheesecake Factory's great Value grade. Still, they help show that the stock is likely being undervalued at the moment. Add this to the strength of its earnings outlook, and we can clearly see that CAKE is an impressive value stock right now.


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:


The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated (CAKE) - free report >>

Published in