Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) Receives $33.25 Average PT from Analysts

Shares of Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Reduce” by the ten brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and seven have issued a hold rating on the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $33.25.

Several brokerages recently commented on PZZA. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Papa John’s International from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, July 26th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Papa John’s International from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Benchmark downgraded Papa John’s International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Bank of America reaffirmed an “underperform” rating and set a $34.00 target price (down from $42.00) on shares of Papa John’s International in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Papa John’s International from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a report on Friday, August 7th.

Papa John’s International Stock Performance

Shares of PZZA stock opened at $24.43 on Tuesday. Papa John’s International has a 52-week low of $23.27 and a 52-week high of $55.74. The stock has a market cap of $804.28 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.92, a PEG ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 1.13. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $32.19 and its 200-day moving average is $33.42.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported $0.46 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.45 by $0.01. Papa John’s International had a negative return on equity of 10.98% and a net margin of 1.34%.The company had revenue of $482.40 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $481.25 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.41 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that Papa John’s International will post 1.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Papa John’s International

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Sanctuary Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Papa John’s International in the second quarter valued at $1,168,000. PEAK6 LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Papa John’s International in the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,065,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. acquired a new stake in shares of Papa John’s International in the 2nd quarter valued at about $104,000. Heartland Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Papa John’s International in the 2nd quarter valued at about $8,393,000. Finally, BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in Papa John’s International in the 2nd quarter valued at about $182,315,000.

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.