Zacks Research Issues Positive Outlook for PZZA Earnings

Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) – Research analysts at Zacks Research increased their Q2 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Papa John’s International in a research report issued on Wednesday, May 20th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the company will post earnings per share of $0.40 for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $0.35. Zacks Research has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Papa John’s International’s current full-year earnings is $1.50 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Papa John’s International’s Q4 2026 earnings at $0.39 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.46 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $0.39 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $1.90 EPS.

A number of other analysts have also weighed in on the company. Benchmark reduced their target price on Papa John’s International from $50.00 to $45.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Wall Street Zen lowered Papa John’s International from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 16th. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $40.00 target price on shares of Papa John’s International in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their target price on Papa John’s International from $45.00 to $35.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 27th. Finally, UBS Group cut their price target on Papa John’s International from $42.00 to $33.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Papa John’s International presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $38.50.

Papa John’s International Price Performance

PZZA stock opened at $33.40 on Monday. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $34.72 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $36.64. Papa John’s International has a twelve month low of $29.55 and a twelve month high of $55.74. The firm has a market cap of $1.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.24, a PEG ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 1.18.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.40 by ($0.08). Papa John’s International had a negative return on equity of 10.71% and a net margin of 1.37%.The business had revenue of $478.61 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $485.51 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.36 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 7.7% on a year-over-year basis.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Papa John’s International

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Papa John’s International by 3.3% during the third quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 6,507 shares of the company’s stock worth $290,000 after purchasing an additional 206 shares during the period. Private Advisor Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Papa John’s International by 6.5% during the third quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 5,220 shares of the company’s stock worth $251,000 after purchasing an additional 319 shares during the period. Amalgamated Bank lifted its holdings in shares of Papa John’s International by 3.4% during the third quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 9,675 shares of the company’s stock worth $466,000 after purchasing an additional 322 shares during the period. State of Alaska Department of Revenue lifted its holdings in shares of Papa John’s International by 1.8% during the fourth quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 18,642 shares of the company’s stock worth $716,000 after purchasing an additional 328 shares during the period. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. lifted its holdings in shares of Papa John’s International by 0.8% during the third quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 42,662 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,054,000 after purchasing an additional 354 shares during the period.

Papa John’s International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 29th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 18th will be paid a dividend of $0.46 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 18th. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.5%. Papa John’s International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 221.69%.

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.