Papa John’s International, Inc. $PZZA Shares Sold by SG Americas Securities LLC

SG Americas Securities LLC trimmed its stake in Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) by 94.2% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 9,682 shares of the company’s stock after selling 157,022 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC’s holdings in Papa John’s International were worth $314,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Irenic Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of Papa John’s International in the third quarter valued at approximately $51,699,000. Great Hill Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Papa John’s International in the 4th quarter valued at $5,843,000. Willis Investment Counsel acquired a new position in shares of Papa John’s International in the 4th quarter valued at $1,336,000. Cantor Fitzgerald L. P. purchased a new stake in Papa John’s International in the 3rd quarter valued at $12,374,000. Finally, Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. raised its position in Papa John’s International by 2.7% in the 4th quarter. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. now owns 1,657,994 shares of the company’s stock valued at $63,816,000 after purchasing an additional 42,810 shares during the last quarter.

Papa John’s International Stock Performance

PZZA stock opened at $33.49 on Friday. Papa John’s International, Inc. has a one year low of $29.55 and a one year high of $55.74. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.10 billion, a PE ratio of 40.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 1.12. The company has a fifty day moving average of $33.92 and a 200-day moving average of $34.90.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $0.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.40 by ($0.08). Papa John’s International had a negative return on equity of 10.71% and a net margin of 1.37%.The firm had revenue of $478.61 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $485.51 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.36 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was down 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that Papa John’s International, Inc. will post 1.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Papa John’s International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 29th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 18th were issued a $0.46 dividend. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 18th. Papa John’s International’s payout ratio is currently 221.69%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

PZZA has been the topic of several research reports. Mizuho lowered their price objective on shares of Papa John’s International from $34.00 to $33.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Piper Sandler reduced their target price on shares of Papa John’s International from $32.00 to $30.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 8th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Papa John’s International from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $40.00 price target on shares of Papa John’s International in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Papa John’s International from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, June 6th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $38.50.

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.