Shares in local casual dinning chains were hit Friday as analysts downgraded stocks because of rising oil prices and consumer uncertainty about the economy.
Shares in Calabasas-based Cheesecake Factory Inc. dipped 6 percent to $19.62 after the company was downgraded by analysts at Goldman Sachs Friday morning.
Shares in Los Angeles-based gourmet pizza chain California Pizza Kitchen Inc. shed 5.1 percent to $13.60 while Woodland Hills-based Grill Concepts Inc., which owns and operates both the Daily Grill and The Grill on the Alley chains, lost 5.5 percent to $2.74.
Analysts said that rising crude oil futures putting a barrel of crude at $132.69 have made consumers edgy about discretionary spending.
“The rising price of crude is a detriment to the consumer. It’s not that big in terms of absolute dollars, but the psychological impact is hurting sentiment,” Bucky Hellwig at Morgan Asset Management said Friday.