14,784 Shares in Papa John’s International, Inc. $PZZA Bought by WINTON GROUP Ltd

WINTON GROUP Ltd acquired a new position in Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 14,784 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $712,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its position in shares of Papa John’s International by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 6,507 shares of the company’s stock valued at $290,000 after purchasing an additional 206 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Papa John’s International by 22.2% during the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,157 shares of the company’s stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares during the period. Financial Advocates Investment Management boosted its holdings in shares of Papa John’s International by 3.1% in the 2nd quarter. Financial Advocates Investment Management now owns 7,623 shares of the company’s stock worth $373,000 after buying an additional 226 shares during the last quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC grew its position in Papa John’s International by 0.4% during the second quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC now owns 74,589 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,650,000 after buying an additional 271 shares during the period. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. grew its position in Papa John’s International by 6.2% during the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 5,176 shares of the company’s stock valued at $249,000 after buying an additional 304 shares during the period.

Papa John’s International Stock Down 3.3%

PZZA traded down $1.20 on Friday, hitting $34.92. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 561,710 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,388,196. Papa John’s International, Inc. has a 12 month low of $29.55 and a 12 month high of $55.74. The firm has a market cap of $1.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 1.23. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $34.89 and its 200-day simple moving average is $41.58.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.33 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $498.18 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $517.25 million. Papa John’s International had a net margin of 1.44% and a negative return on equity of 11.16%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.63 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Papa John’s International, Inc. will post 2.19 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Papa John’s International Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Investors of record on Monday, February 9th were paid a dividend of $0.46 per share. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 9th. Papa John’s International’s payout ratio is presently 206.74%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

PZZA has been the topic of several research reports. Benchmark lowered their price objective on shares of Papa John’s International from $60.00 to $50.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Zacks Research raised shares of Papa John’s International from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Papa John’s International in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Mizuho lowered their price target on shares of Papa John’s International from $40.00 to $34.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Stephens dropped their price objective on Papa John’s International from $49.00 to $40.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 27th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $45.00.

Key Stories Impacting Papa John’s International

Here are the key news stories impacting Papa John’s International this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Take‑private interest and $47/share offer — Multiple reports say Irth Capital’s ~$1.5B proposal (about $47/share) has the company reviewing a bid; takeover chatter and the implied premium are the primary catalyst lifting the stock. Papa John’s reviews fresh $1.5 billion take‑private bid (Reuters)
• Positive Sentiment: Shares reacted sharply to takeover headlines — media coverage shows a strong intraday rally on the buyout reports, reflecting investor demand for the takeover premium. Papa John’s stock jumps following $1.5B buyout proposal (Blockonomi)
• Neutral Sentiment: Trading pause/LULD — the stock was temporarily halted (LULD pause) amid the surge and heavy news flow; this is procedural but signals elevated volatility and potential short‑term liquidity constraints.
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO public stance — the CEO told reporters he’s focused on competing rather than on the take‑private bid, which could temper expectations about a quick deal or indicate the board will rigorously evaluate offers. Papa John’s CEO focuses on competing, not take‑private bid (WSJ)
• Neutral Sentiment: Strategic initiatives remain in focus — the company is highlighting digital investments and loyalty expansion as growth levers; these longer‑term operational efforts support valuation but are secondary to takeover dynamics in driving near‑term price action. Can Papa John’s digital investments & loyalty expansion drive growth? (Zacks)
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor presentations — management presented at the UBS consumer/retail conference (transcript available); investors should scan for commentary on same‑store sales, margin recovery and franchise dynamics that will matter if bidders do deeper diligence. UBS Global Consumer & Retail Conference transcript (Seeking Alpha)
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrades to near‑term EPS — Zacks Research trimmed Q1 2026 and Q3 2026 EPS estimates (Q1 to $0.44 from $0.49; Q3 to $0.35 from $0.43), while raising Q2 2027; mixed estimate changes highlight near‑term operational headwinds and keep earnings momentum uncertain.

Papa John’s International 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.