Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Analysts

Shares of Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) have earned an average rating of “Hold” from the twelve brokerages that are covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $49.4444.

PZZA has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Stephens dropped their price objective on Papa John’s International from $50.00 to $49.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Bank of America restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $50.00 price target (down from $62.00) on shares of Papa John’s International in a report on Monday, October 6th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Papa John’s International from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Monday, October 20th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Papa John’s International in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Mizuho lowered their target price 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.

Papa John’s International Stock Down 0.5%

Shares of NASDAQ:PZZA opened at $37.57 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $39.83 and a 200 day moving average of $44.30. The company has a market capitalization of $1.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.12 and a beta of 1.16. Papa John’s International has a 52 week low of $30.16 and a 52 week high of $55.74.

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

Papa John’s International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 17th were given a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 17th. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.9%. Papa John’s International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 164.29%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Papa John’s International

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Papa John’s International during the second quarter worth about $309,000. WBI Investments LLC raised its position in Papa John’s International by 46.5% during the 2nd quarter. WBI Investments LLC now owns 37,844 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,852,000 after buying an additional 12,004 shares during the last quarter. Gradient Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Papa John’s International during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $13,036,000. Brandes Investment Partners LP boosted its holdings in shares of Papa John’s International by 271.6% in the 2nd quarter. Brandes Investment Partners LP now owns 690,299 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,783,000 after acquiring an additional 504,514 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC increased its stake in shares of Papa John’s International by 18.9% in the second quarter. Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC now owns 922,809 shares of the company’s stock worth $45,162,000 after acquiring an additional 146,640 shares during the period.

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.