Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) Sees Large Increase in Short Interest

Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest during the month of March. As of March 13th, there was short interest totaling 4,687,150 shares, a growth of 17.8% from the February 26th total of 3,978,192 shares. Approximately 14.5% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 2,248,120 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.1 days.

Papa John’s International Stock Performance

Shares of PZZA opened at $32.81 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.87, a P/E/G ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 1.18. The company’s fifty day moving average is $33.74 and its two-hundred day moving average is $40.08. Papa John’s International has a 1 year low of $29.55 and a 1 year high of $55.74.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.33 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $498.18 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $517.25 million. Papa John’s International had a net margin of 1.44% and a negative return on equity of 11.16%. The business’s revenue was down 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.63 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Papa John’s International will post 2.19 EPS for the current year.

Papa John’s International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 9th were given a dividend of $0.46 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 9th. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.6%. Papa John’s International’s payout ratio is presently 206.74%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently weighed in on PZZA. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Papa John’s International in a report on Friday, March 27th. Benchmark decreased their price target on shares of Papa John’s International from $60.00 to $50.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 27th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Papa John’s International from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Mizuho lowered 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. Finally, Stephens dropped their price target on Papa John’s International from $49.00 to $40.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $45.00.

Institutional Trading of Papa John’s International

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of PZZA. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its position 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 acquiring an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Papa John’s International during the 2nd quarter worth $59,000. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in shares of Papa John’s International by 41.0% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,702 shares of the company’s stock valued at $82,000 after purchasing an additional 495 shares in the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Papa John’s International by 342.9% in the 3rd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,767 shares of the company’s stock valued at $85,000 after purchasing an additional 1,368 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Leonteq Securities AG acquired a new stake in shares of Papa John’s International in the fourth quarter valued at about $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.