Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) Rating Increased to Hold at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a report issued on Monday,Zacks.com reports. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Papa John’s International’s Q2 2026 earnings at $0.49 EPS.

Several other equities research analysts have also weighed in on the company. Stephens reduced their target price on Papa John’s International from $50.00 to $49.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 7th. Mizuho reduced their price objective on shares of Papa John’s International from $44.00 to $40.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 9th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $42.00 price objective on shares of Papa John’s International in a report on Monday, November 10th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Papa John’s International in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Bank of America reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $50.00 target price (down previously from $62.00) on shares of Papa John’s International in a research report on Monday, October 6th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Papa John’s International has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $49.44.

Papa John’s International Price Performance

NASDAQ:PZZA traded down $0.02 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $36.26. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 169,612 shares, compared to its average volume of 932,538. The company has a market cap of $1.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.99 and a beta of 1.16. Papa John’s International has a one year low of $30.16 and a one year high of $55.74. The business’s 50-day moving average is $39.58 and its 200-day moving average is $44.01.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.40 by ($0.08). The company had revenue of $508.15 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $523.67 million. Papa John’s International had a net margin of 1.79% and a negative return on equity of 13.54%. Papa John’s International’s quarterly revenue was up .3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.43 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Papa John’s International will post 2.19 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Papa John’s International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 9th will be given a dividend of $0.46 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 9th. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.1%. Papa John’s International’s payout ratio is currently 164.29%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Papa John’s International

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of PZZA. Irenic Capital Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Papa John’s International in the 3rd quarter worth about $51,699,000. Brandes Investment Partners LP boosted its position in Papa John’s International by 271.6% in the second quarter. Brandes Investment Partners LP now owns 690,299 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,783,000 after buying an additional 504,514 shares in the last quarter. Gradient Investments LLC bought a new stake in Papa John’s International during the third quarter worth about $13,036,000. Cantor Fitzgerald L. P. bought a new stake in Papa John’s International during the third quarter worth about $12,374,000. Finally, Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC increased its holdings in shares of Papa John’s International by 27.3% during the third quarter. Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC now owns 1,174,369 shares of the company’s stock worth $56,546,000 after buying an additional 251,560 shares in the last quarter.

Papa John’s International Company Profile

Papa John’s International, Inc is a leading American pizza restaurant chain known for its focus on high-quality ingredients and consistent product offerings. Founded in 1984 by John Schnatter in Jeffersonville, Indiana, the company has grown to operate thousands of restaurants across the United States and in more than 40 international markets. Papa John’s restaurants are primarily franchised, supported by a network of corporate-owned outlets that together drive brand standards, operational guidance and marketing efforts.

The core menu at Papa John’s centers on a variety of hand-tossed and pan pizzas made with a signature stone-baked crust and topped with real cheese, vine-ripened tomato sauce and premium meats and vegetables.