Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) Sets New 12-Month Low – Here’s Why

Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA)’s stock price hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $29.55 and last traded at $30.65, with a volume of 545932 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $30.70.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have weighed in on PZZA. Benchmark cut their target price on Papa John’s International from $60.00 to $50.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 27th. Zacks Research upgraded Papa John’s International from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $42.00 price target on shares of Papa John’s International in a report on Monday, November 10th. Stephens dropped their price objective on Papa John’s International from $49.00 to $40.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Finally, Mizuho reduced their price objective on Papa John’s International from $40.00 to $34.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $45.00.

Papa John’s International Stock Performance

The firm has a market cap of $1.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.64, a P/E/G ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 1.23. The company’s 50 day moving average is $35.19 and its 200 day moving average is $41.81.

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, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.33 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $498.18 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $517.25 million. Papa John’s International had a net margin of 1.44% and a negative return on equity of 11.16%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.63 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Papa John’s International, Inc. will post 2.19 EPS for the current year.

Papa John’s International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Investors of record on Monday, February 9th were issued a dividend of $0.46 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 9th. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.8%. Papa John’s International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 206.74%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Papa John’s International

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Huntington National Bank raised its position in 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 purchasing an additional 988 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Papa John’s International by 22.2% during the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,157 shares of the company’s stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares during the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Papa John’s International in the second quarter valued at approximately $59,000. Leonteq Securities AG acquired a new position in shares of Papa John’s International in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $71,000. Finally, Kestra Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in Papa John’s International in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $73,000.

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.