Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) Reaches New 12-Month Low After Analyst Downgrade

Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA)’s stock price reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Friday after Benchmark lowered their price target on the stock from $60.00 to $50.00. Benchmark currently has a buy rating on the stock. Papa John’s International traded as low as $30.16 and last traded at $30.5750, with a volume of 499203 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $30.91.

Several other research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $42.00 price target on shares of Papa John’s International in a research report on Monday, November 10th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Papa John’s International in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research upgraded Papa John’s International from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Stephens decreased their price target 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. Finally, Mizuho dropped their price objective on Papa John’s International from $40.00 to $34.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $45.00.

More Papa John’s International News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Benchmark trimmed its price target to $50 but kept a “buy” rating, implying ~59.5% upside from current levels, signaling continued analyst confidence. Benchmark Lowers PT to $50
• Positive Sentiment: Stephens cut its price target to $40 but maintained an “overweight” rating, keeping institutional support for the stock despite lower targets. Stephens Lowers PT to $40
• Positive Sentiment: Operational positives highlighted by analysts and commentators: 101 new international stores in Q4, nearly doubled free cash flow in 2025, and management guidance pointing to a return to EPS growth — items that support upside over time. Seeking Alpha: Swing Trade Thesis
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 results: EPS of $0.34 topped consensus by $0.01, but revenue missed ($498.2M vs. ~$517M est.) and revenue declined ~6% year-over-year — a mixed beat/miss that tempers near-term enthusiasm. Zacks: Q4 EPS Top Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Management is accelerating a transformation that includes significant closures — company commentary and some coverage cite 200 North America closures and others report plans to close ~300 underperforming U.S. shops — a sign of footprint contraction and near-term sales headwinds. Seeking Alpha: $60M Savings, 200 Closures
• Negative Sentiment: Broad coverage emphasizes soft North America results and weaker consumer demand, which pressured margins and prompted promotional activity — factors likely to weigh on near-term revenue growth. WSJ: Lower Profit & Revenue
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple outlets ran stories detailing hundreds of store closures and underperforming locations, reinforcing investor concern about U.S. demand and structural adjustments. Yahoo: Close 300 Locations

Institutional Trading of Papa John’s International

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Huntington National Bank lifted its position in Papa John’s International by 7,600.0% during the 2nd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 1,001 shares of the company’s stock worth $49,000 after buying an additional 988 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Papa John’s International by 22.2% in the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,157 shares of the company’s stock worth $56,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares during the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Papa John’s International in the second quarter worth about $59,000. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position 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 worth $82,000 after purchasing an additional 495 shares in the last quarter. Finally, 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 valued at $85,000 after purchasing an additional 1,368 shares during the last quarter.

Papa John’s International Stock Up 1.4%

The business’s fifty day moving average is $36.00 and its two-hundred day moving average is $42.38. The firm has a market cap of $1.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 1.20.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.33 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $498.18 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $517.25 million. Papa John’s International had a net margin of 1.44% and a negative return on equity of 11.26%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.63 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that Papa John’s International, Inc. will post 2.19 EPS for the current year.

Papa John’s International Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Investors of record on Monday, February 9th were paid a $0.46 dividend. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.9%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 9th. Papa John’s International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 164.29%.

About Papa John’s International

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.