Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) Hits New 1-Year Low – Here’s Why

Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA)’s stock price reached a new 52-week low during trading on Monday . The stock traded as low as $23.14 and last traded at $23.14, with a volume of 1084963 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $24.26.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

PZZA has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded Papa John’s International from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, July 26th. Stephens reissued an “equal weight” rating and set a $24.00 price target (down from $38.00) on shares of Papa John’s International in a report on Friday, August 7th. Benchmark lowered shares of Papa John’s International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Papa John’s International from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Mizuho reduced their target price on shares of Papa John’s International from $33.00 to $32.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Papa John’s International has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $32.00.

Papa John’s International Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $768.68 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 1.13. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $31.70 and a 200 day moving average price of $33.15.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported $0.46 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.45 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $482.40 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $481.25 million. Papa John’s International had a net margin of 1.34% and a negative return on equity of 10.98%. Papa John’s International’s quarterly revenue was down 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.41 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Papa John’s International, Inc. will post 1.25 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Papa John’s International

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new stake in shares of Papa John’s International in the 2nd quarter worth $29,000. Persistent Asset Partners Ltd acquired a new position in 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 about $59,000. Skylands Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Papa John’s International in the 1st quarter worth approximately $65,000. Finally, Leonteq Securities AG acquired a new position in shares of Papa John’s International in the 4th quarter worth approximately $71,000.

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.