Papa John’s International, Inc. $PZZA Shares Sold by Principal Financial Group Inc.

Principal Financial Group Inc. trimmed its position in Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) by 26.8% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 158,171 shares of the company’s stock after selling 57,970 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned approximately 0.48% of Papa John’s International worth $7,616,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. WBI Investments LLC raised its holdings in Papa John’s International by 46.5% during the second quarter. WBI Investments LLC now owns 37,844 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,852,000 after purchasing an additional 12,004 shares in the last quarter. Gradient Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Papa John’s International during the 3rd quarter worth $13,036,000. Brandes Investment Partners LP lifted its position in Papa John’s International by 271.6% in the second quarter. Brandes Investment Partners LP now owns 690,299 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,783,000 after acquiring an additional 504,514 shares during the last quarter. Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC boosted its stake in Papa John’s International by 18.9% in the second quarter. Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC now owns 922,809 shares of the company’s stock valued at $45,162,000 after acquiring an additional 146,640 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Papa John’s International during the second quarter worth about $587,000.

Papa John’s International Price Performance

NASDAQ:PZZA opened at $31.79 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $1.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 1.20. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $37.77 and its 200 day moving average price is $43.09. Papa John’s International, Inc. has a 1-year low of $30.16 and a 1-year high of $55.74.

Papa John’s International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 20th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 9th will be issued a $0.46 dividend. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 9th. Papa John’s International’s payout ratio is currently 164.29%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on PZZA. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $42.00 target price on shares of Papa John’s International in a research report on Monday, November 10th. Zacks Research raised Papa John’s International from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. Mizuho cut their target price on shares of Papa John’s International from $44.00 to $40.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 9th. Stephens decreased their price target on shares of Papa John’s International from $50.00 to $49.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Papa John’s International in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Papa John’s International currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $49.44.

Papa John’s International 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.