Shares in Cheesecake Factory Inc. closed up nearly 7 percent Tuesday after an analyst raised his rating on the stock following better-than-expected sales and a possible partnership with Starbucks Corp.

Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Brian Moore said in a research report that same-store annual sales for the Calabasas-based restaurant chain may exceed the company’s early-year forecast of a 2 percent decline.

Moore said the restaurant chain, which has 150 outlets nationwide, is benefiting from steady sales in markets with lower home foreclosure rates. He added Cheesecake has an opportunity to become a supplier to Starbucks as the coffee chain carries out a plan to improve the quality of its baked goods but added that the Starbucks partnership is “somewhat speculative on our part.”

Shares in Cheesecake Factory closed up 6.5 percent to $17.48, the biggest gain in nearly 6 months. Shares had been down more than 30 percent since the start of the year.