Papa John’s International, Inc. $PZZA Shares Sold by Legato Capital Management LLC

Legato Capital Management LLC lowered its holdings in Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) by 71.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 6,139 shares of the company’s stock after selling 15,064 shares during the period. Legato Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Papa John’s International were worth $236,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in PZZA. Royal Bank of Canada grew its holdings in Papa John’s International by 32.8% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 19,028 shares of the company’s stock worth $781,000 after acquiring an additional 4,705 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Papa John’s International during the 1st quarter worth approximately $600,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its holdings in Papa John’s International by 4.6% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 19,785 shares of the company’s stock worth $813,000 after acquiring an additional 879 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its holdings in Papa John’s International by 25.0% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 310,653 shares of the company’s stock worth $12,762,000 after acquiring an additional 62,103 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its holdings in Papa John’s International by 81.4% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 112,592 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,625,000 after acquiring an additional 50,536 shares in the last quarter.

Papa John’s International Price Performance

PZZA stock opened at $34.65 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $34.51 and a 200 day moving average price of $36.39. Papa John’s International, Inc. has a 12 month low of $29.55 and a 12 month high of $55.74. The company has a market cap of $1.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.18.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $0.32 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.40 by ($0.08). Papa John’s International had a net margin of 1.37% and a negative return on equity of 10.71%. The business had revenue of $478.61 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $485.51 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.36 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that Papa John’s International, Inc. will post 1.5 earnings per share for the current year.

Papa John’s International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 29th. Investors of record on Monday, May 18th will be given a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 18th. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.3%. Papa John’s International’s dividend payout ratio is 221.69%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $40.00 price target on shares of Papa John’s International in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Piper Sandler lowered their price target on Papa John’s International from $32.00 to $30.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 8th. Mizuho lowered their price target on Papa John’s International from $34.00 to $33.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, May 11th. Benchmark lowered their price target on Papa John’s International from $50.00 to $45.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 8th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price target on Papa John’s International from $45.00 to $35.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 27th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Papa John’s International currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $38.50.

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.