Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Has $20.30 Million Stake in Papa John’s International, Inc. $PZZA

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) by 8.5% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 626,352 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 49,031 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP’s holdings in Papa John’s International were worth $20,300,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Lazard Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Papa John’s International during the 2nd quarter worth about $59,000. Skylands Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Papa John’s International in the 1st quarter valued at about $65,000. Leonteq Securities AG bought a new position in shares of Papa John’s International in the 4th quarter valued at about $71,000. Kestra Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Papa John’s International in the fourth quarter valued at about $73,000. Finally, Bayforest Capital Ltd bought a new stake in Papa John’s International during the fourth quarter worth about $92,000.

Key Papa John’s International News

Here are the key news stories impacting Papa John’s International this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Papa John’s reported second-quarter adjusted earnings of $0.46 per share, ahead of the $0.43–$0.45 analyst estimates, while revenue of $482.4 million modestly exceeded expectations. EPS also improved from $0.41 a year earlier. Papa John’s Q2 Earnings and Revenues Beat Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: The company announced leadership appointments intended to support its ongoing transformation strategy, potentially strengthening execution as management works to improve the business. Papa Johns Announces Leadership Appointments to Support Ongoing Transformation Strategy
• Neutral Sentiment: Options activity was unusually high, including heavy call buying reported previously and approximately 21,598 put options traded—about 430% above typical put volume. This signals elevated investor positioning and volatility but does not establish a clear fundamental direction.
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue declined 8.8% year over year despite the earnings beat, highlighting continued challenges in the company’s operating performance. Management said the turnaround is taking longer than expected as the U.S. business faces a soft consumer environment. Papa John’s Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Papa John’s cut its full-year outlook and suspended its dividend. The combination removes an important reason some investors may hold the stock and indicates management is prioritizing financial flexibility while domestic sales remain weak. Papa John’s Cuts Outlook, Suspends Dividend as U.S. Business Continues to Struggle
• Negative Sentiment: Block & Leviton is investigating whether Papa John’s and certain executives violated federal securities laws, adding legal and reputational risk, although the investigation does not establish wrongdoing. PZZA Securities Fraud Investigation

Papa John’s International Stock Down 17.2%

NASDAQ:PZZA opened at $24.64 on Friday. Papa John’s International, Inc. has a 12-month low of $24.28 and a 12-month high of $55.74. The firm has a market capitalization of $810.66 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.69, a P/E/G ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 1.13. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $33.05 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $33.88.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported $0.46 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.45 by $0.01. 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 $482.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $481.25 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.41 EPS. The firm’s revenue was down 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts expect that Papa John’s International, Inc. will post 1.47 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

PZZA has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Wall Street Zen raised Papa John’s International from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, July 26th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Papa John’s International from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Monday, May 18th. Piper Sandler lowered their target price on shares of Papa John’s International from $32.00 to $30.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 8th. Benchmark lowered their target price on shares of Papa John’s International from $50.00 to $45.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 8th. Finally, Mizuho dropped their price target on shares of Papa John’s International from $33.00 to $32.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $36.38.

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.