Dean Capital Management Sells 22,240 Shares of Papa John’s International, Inc. $PZZA

Dean Capital Management lowered its position in Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) by 65.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 11,634 shares of the company’s stock after selling 22,240 shares during the quarter. Dean Capital Management’s holdings in Papa John’s International were worth $448,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Irenic Capital Management LP purchased a new position in shares of Papa John’s International during the 3rd quarter worth about $51,699,000. Marshall Wace LLP purchased a new stake in Papa John’s International in the 4th quarter worth about $12,969,000. Quinn Opportunity Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Papa John’s International in the 4th quarter worth about $12,767,000. Earnest Partners LLC lifted its stake in Papa John’s International by 19.6% in the fourth quarter. Earnest Partners LLC now owns 1,947,248 shares of the company’s stock worth $74,950,000 after purchasing an additional 318,816 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Gumshoe Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Papa John’s International in the fourth quarter worth about $10,034,000.

Papa John’s International Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ PZZA opened at $36.47 on Friday. Papa John’s International, Inc. has a 1-year low of $29.55 and a 1-year high of $55.74. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $34.31 and a 200 day moving average price of $35.55. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 1.15.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $0.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.40 by ($0.08). The company had revenue of $478.61 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $485.51 million. Papa John’s International had a net margin of 1.37% and a negative return on equity of 10.71%. Papa John’s International’s revenue for the quarter was down 7.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.36 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Papa John’s International, Inc. will post 1.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Papa John’s International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 29th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 18th were given a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 18th. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.0%. Papa John’s International’s payout ratio is presently 221.69%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have issued reports on PZZA shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their target price on Papa John’s International from $45.00 to $35.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Wall Street Zen raised Papa John’s International from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, June 6th. Piper Sandler dropped their price objective 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. UBS Group dropped their price objective on Papa John’s International from $42.00 to $33.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded Papa John’s International from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $38.50.

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.