Cantor Fitzgerald L. P. Invests $12.37 Million in Papa John’s International, Inc. $PZZA

Cantor Fitzgerald L. P. acquired a new stake in shares of Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 256,992 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,374,000. Cantor Fitzgerald L. P. owned about 0.78% of Papa John’s International at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its position in 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 valued at $56,000 after buying an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Papa John’s International in the second quarter worth about $59,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in Papa John’s International by 41.0% in the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,702 shares of the company’s stock worth $82,000 after acquiring an additional 495 shares in the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Papa John’s International by 342.9% during the third quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,767 shares of the company’s stock worth $85,000 after acquiring an additional 1,368 shares during the last quarter. Finally, iSAM Funds UK Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Papa John’s International during the third quarter worth about $121,000.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently commented on PZZA. Mizuho decreased their price objective on shares of Papa John’s International from $40.00 to $34.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 20th. 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. Benchmark cut their price target on shares of Papa John’s International from $60.00 to $50.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 27th. Stephens decreased their price target on shares of Papa John’s International from $49.00 to $40.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 27th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Papa John’s International in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Papa John’s International has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $45.00.

Key Headlines Impacting Papa John’s International

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

• Positive Sentiment: Reports that Qatari‑backed Irth Capital (and other suitors) have submitted a roughly $1.5 billion take‑private proposal (~$47/share) are driving upside because the offer represents a material premium to recent trading and creates buyout speculation. Papa John’s Weighs Takeover Offer As Valuation And Risks Stay In Focus
• Positive Sentiment: Market headlines showing a sharp intraday jump (reports of a 15–19% surge) reinforce momentum and short‑term buying tied to the takeover narrative. Papa John’s (PZZA) Stock Jumps 19% Following $1.5B Buyout Proposal
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO comments indicate management remains focused on competing and running the business rather than treating the bid as a certainty — that could slow a quick transaction and keeps operational execution in focus. Papa John’s CEO Focuses on Competing, Not Take-Private Bid
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/industry pieces highlight Papa John’s ongoing digital and loyalty investments — a longer‑term positive for sales and margins but unlikely to move the stock as much as takeover speculation in the near term. Can Papa John’s Digital Investments & Loyalty Expansion Drive Growth?
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research issued mixed estimate changes: they trimmed Q1 and Q3 2026 EPS forecasts (and left a Hold rating) even as they raised a Q2 2027 forecast—these downward near‑term revisions highlight margin and revenue risk and temper the fundamentals under the takeover chatter.

Papa John’s International Stock Up 1.9%

Papa John’s International stock opened at $36.79 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $34.82 and a 200 day moving average price of $41.45. The company has a market capitalization of $1.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 1.23. Papa John’s International, Inc. has a 52 week low of $29.55 and a 52 week high of $55.74.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.33 by $0.01. Papa John’s International had a net margin of 1.44% and a negative return on equity of 11.16%. The company had revenue of $498.18 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $517.25 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.63 EPS. Papa John’s International’s quarterly revenue was down 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts anticipate that Papa John’s International, Inc. will post 2.19 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Papa John’s International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 9th were paid a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 9th. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.0%. Papa John’s International’s dividend payout ratio is presently 206.74%.

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.