Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) Receives $45.00 Consensus PT from Brokerages

Shares of Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) have earned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the ten analysts that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and three have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $45.00.

Several research firms recently weighed in on PZZA. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Papa John’s International in a report on Friday, March 27th. Benchmark decreased their price target on Papa John’s International from $60.00 to $50.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 27th. Mizuho decreased their price target on Papa John’s International from $40.00 to $34.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 20th. 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 report on Friday, February 27th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Papa John’s International from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th.

Institutional Trading of Papa John’s International

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its stake in 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 purchasing an additional 210 shares during the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Papa John’s International in the second quarter worth $59,000. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in Papa John’s International by 342.9% in the third quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,767 shares of the company’s stock worth $85,000 after purchasing an additional 1,368 shares during the period. Leonteq Securities AG purchased a new stake in Papa John’s International in the fourth quarter worth $71,000. Finally, Kestra Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in Papa John’s International in the fourth quarter worth $73,000.

Papa John’s International Trading Down 2.8%

Shares of NASDAQ PZZA opened at $32.85 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $34.58 and its 200-day moving average price is $38.12. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.91, a P/E/G ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 1.18. Papa John’s International has a 12-month low of $29.55 and a 12-month high of $55.74.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) last announced 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). Papa John’s International had a net margin of 1.44% and a negative return on equity of 11.16%. The business had revenue of $478.61 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $485.51 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.36 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that Papa John’s International will post 1.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Papa John’s International Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 29th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 18th will be paid a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 18th. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.6%. Papa John’s International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 206.74%.

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.