Zacks Research Issues Pessimistic Estimate for PZZA Earnings

Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) – Equities research analysts at Zacks Research dropped their FY2026 earnings per share estimates for Papa John’s International in a research report issued on Wednesday, August 19th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the company will post earnings of $1.21 per share for the year, down from their prior forecast of $1.40. Zacks Research currently has a “Strong Sell” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Papa John’s International’s current full-year earnings is $1.25 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Papa John’s International’s Q4 2026 earnings at $0.29 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.26 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $0.44 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $0.27 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $1.54 EPS.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported $0.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.45 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $482.40 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $481.25 million. Papa John’s International had a negative return on equity of 10.98% and a net margin of 1.34%.The firm’s revenue was down 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.41 EPS.

Several other analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Papa John’s International from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Papa John’s International from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, July 26th. Stephens reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and issued a $24.00 price objective (down from $38.00) on shares of Papa John’s International in a research note on Friday, August 7th. UBS Group reduced their price objective on shares of Papa John’s International from $33.00 to $28.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 7th. Finally, Benchmark downgraded shares of Papa John’s International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $32.00.

Papa John’s International Price Performance

PZZA stock opened at $23.27 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $766.09 million, a PE ratio of 29.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 1.13. The company’s 50-day moving average is $31.53 and its 200-day moving average is $33.07. Papa John’s International has a 1 year low of $22.88 and a 1 year high of $55.74.

Institutional Trading of Papa John’s International

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new stake in shares of Papa John’s International in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Persistent Asset Partners Ltd bought a new position in Papa John’s International during the second quarter valued at $33,000. Lazard Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Papa John’s International during the second quarter valued at $59,000. Skylands Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Papa John’s International in the first quarter worth $65,000. Finally, Leonteq Securities AG purchased a new stake in Papa John’s International in the fourth quarter worth $71,000.

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.