Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund Makes New Investment in Papa John’s International, Inc. $PZZA

Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund bought a new stake in Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 16,739 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $806,000. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund owned about 0.05% of Papa John’s International at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in PZZA. Huntington National Bank increased its stake in shares of Papa John’s International by 7,600.0% in the second quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 1,001 shares of the company’s stock valued at $49,000 after buying an additional 988 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its position in Papa John’s International by 22.2% in the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,157 shares of the company’s stock valued at $56,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Papa John’s International during the second quarter valued at $59,000. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in shares of Papa John’s International by 41.0% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,702 shares of the company’s stock valued at $82,000 after acquiring an additional 495 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nisa Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 1,368 shares during the period.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Papa John’s International in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Mizuho decreased their price target on 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 issued a $42.00 price objective on shares of Papa John’s International in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Zacks Research upgraded Papa John’s International from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. Finally, Stephens lowered their price target on shares of 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. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $49.44.

Papa John’s International Trading Down 0.8%

Papa John’s International stock opened at $32.58 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 1.20. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $37.03 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $42.81. Papa John’s International, Inc. has a 1-year low of $30.16 and a 1-year high of $55.74.

Papa John’s International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 20th. Investors of record on Monday, February 9th will be given a $0.46 dividend. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 9th. Papa John’s International’s dividend payout ratio is presently 164.29%.

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.