Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) Receives Average Recommendation of “Reduce” from Analysts

Shares of Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) have received an average recommendation of “Reduce” from the nine ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and six have given a hold rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $32.00.

A number of research analysts have weighed in on PZZA shares. UBS Group cut their price target on shares of Papa John’s International from $33.00 to $28.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Papa John’s International from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, July 26th. Stephens restated an “equal weight” rating and set a $24.00 price objective (down from $38.00) on shares of Papa John’s International in a report on Friday, August 7th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Papa John’s International from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Finally, Piper Sandler reduced their target price on shares of Papa John’s International from $30.00 to $26.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 7th.

Papa John’s International Price Performance

NASDAQ:PZZA opened at $23.23 on Tuesday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $31.87 and its 200-day simple moving average is $33.24. Papa John’s International has a fifty-two week low of $23.11 and a fifty-two week high of $55.74. The stock has a market capitalization of $764.73 million, a PE ratio of 29.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 1.13.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported $0.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.45 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $482.40 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $481.25 million. Papa John’s International had a negative return on equity of 10.98% and a net margin of 1.34%.Papa John’s International’s revenue for the quarter was down 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.41 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Papa John’s International will post 1.25 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Papa John’s International

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new position in shares of Papa John’s International during the second quarter worth about $29,000. Persistent Asset Partners Ltd bought a new position in shares of Papa John’s International during the second quarter worth about $33,000. Lazard Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Papa John’s International in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $59,000. Leonteq Securities AG acquired a new stake in Papa John’s International in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $71,000. Finally, Kestra Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake 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.