Matthew Eliot Clark, Executive Vice President and CFO of Cheesecake Factory Inc, filed a Form 4 on October 30, 2026, disclosing an option exercise and same-day sale of 23,832 shares of common stock on October 29, 2026.

Key Highlights

  • Option exercise: Clark acquired 23,832 shares of common stock via an employee stock option exercise (transaction code M) at an exercise price of $40.42 per share on October 29, 2026.
  • Same-day sale: Clark disposed of 23,832 shares (transaction code S) at a weighted average price of $113.3096 per share, with individual sales ranging from $112.6200 to $113.7850, inclusive.
  • Post-transaction direct holdings: Following the sale, Clark directly owned 45,109 shares of common stock.
  • Restricted stock: Clark also holds 36,220 shares of restricted stock subject to forfeiture, reported as a separate direct holding.
  • Remaining options: After the exercise, Clark retains 15,888 employee stock options with an exercise price of $40.42 and an expiration date of February 16, 2033.
  • Issuer: Cheesecake Factory Inc is listed on NASDAQ:CAKE.

Clark's Option Exercise and Share Sale at Cheesecake Factory

According to the Form 4 filing, Matthew Eliot Clark, who serves as Executive Vice President and CFO of Cheesecake Factory Inc (NASDAQ:CAKE), exercised employee stock options on October 29, 2026, acquiring 23,832 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $40.42 per share. The options had become exercisable on February 16, 2024, and are set to expire on February 16, 2033, according to the filing. The price of the derivative security at the time of exercise was reported as $0.

On the same date, the filing discloses that Clark sold all 23,832 acquired shares at a weighted average price of $113.3096. The filing notes that these shares were sold in multiple transactions ranging from $112.6200 to $113.7850, inclusive. The filing states that Clark "undertakes to provide to CAKE Corporation, any security holder of CAKE Corporation, or the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission, upon request, full information regarding the number of shares sold at each separate price within the ranges set forth in footnote (3) to this Form 4."

After both transactions, Clark directly held 45,109 shares of common stock, according to the filing. The filing separately discloses 36,220 shares of restricted stock subject to forfeiture held directly, and 15,888 remaining employee stock options. The Form 4 was signed by Scarlett May as attorney-in-fact on behalf of Matthew Clark and filed on October 30, 2026.

What Was Disclosed

The filing reports a two-part transaction by Cheesecake Factory's CFO: the exercise of 23,832 stock options at $40.42 per share and the immediate sale of those shares at a weighted average of $113.3096, resulting in direct beneficial ownership of 45,109 shares following the transactions.