Papa John’s International, Inc. (PZZA) – What Are Researchers Saying About This Stock?

Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) has earned a consensus rating of “Reduce” from the nine ratings firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation and seven have given a hold recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $29.57.

Several research firms have issued reports on PZZA. Piper Sandler decreased their price target on shares of Papa John’s International from $30.00 to $26.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Zacks Research upgraded Papa John’s International from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, October 19th. Benchmark cut shares of Papa John’s International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Papa John’s International from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, July 26th. Finally, Stephens reduced their price target on shares of Papa John’s International from $24.00 to $19.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 15th.

Papa John’s International News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Papa John’s International this week:

• Neutral Sentiment: Mizuho lowered its price target on PZZA from $26 to $20 and maintained a “neutral” rating. The revised target implies limited upside from recent levels, signaling reduced confidence in the company’s near-term recovery. Mizuho lowers Papa John’s price target
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts expect weaker upcoming earnings. A Zacks preview says Papa John’s lacks the combination of earnings and revenue estimate trends typically associated with a likely earnings beat, increasing caution ahead of its next report. Zacks Papa John’s earnings preview
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms are promoting a securities class action against Papa John’s, alleging that the company misled investors about sales, its strategic transformation, dividend policy, and 2026 financial outlook. The proposed class covers investors who purchased shares from August 7, 2025, through August 5, 2026, with a November 2, 2026 lead-plaintiff deadline. The allegations have not been proven, but the litigation creates legal, reputational, and potential financial risks. Papa John’s class action announcement
• Negative Sentiment: The dividend suspension is a major investor concern. Coverage notes that Papa John’s previously displayed high dividend yield is misleading because the payout was suspended, undermining the stock’s appeal to income-focused shareholders. Papa John’s dividend coverage

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new position in Papa John’s International in the second quarter worth about $29,000. Persistent Asset Partners Ltd acquired a new stake in Papa John’s International in the 2nd quarter valued at $33,000. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its stake in Papa John’s International by 656.7% in the 3rd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 2,081 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 1,806 shares in the last quarter. Skylands Capital LLC bought a new stake in Papa John’s International in the first quarter valued at $65,000. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its position in Papa John’s International by 42.9% in the first quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 2,230 shares of the company’s stock valued at $72,000 after acquiring an additional 670 shares during the period.

Papa John’s International Price Performance

Shares of PZZA stock opened at $18.45 on Friday. Papa John’s International has a 12-month low of $17.69 and a 12-month high of $52.02. The firm has a market capitalization of $607.37 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 1.13. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $20.50 and a 200 day simple moving average of $30.08.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported $0.46 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 firm had revenue of $482.40 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $481.25 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.41 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Papa John’s International will post 1.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About Papa John’s International

Papa John’s International, Inc operates and franchises restaurants under the Papa Johns brand. The company specializes in pizza and related food products, serving customers primarily through delivery, carryout and dine-in locations, as well as online and mobile ordering platforms.

Its menu includes a variety of pizzas with different crusts and toppings, along with sides such as breadsticks, chicken products and desserts. Papa Johns also offers soft drinks, dipping sauces and other complementary items, with menus and promotions adapted to local markets.

Founded in 1984 by John Schnatter, Papa Johns has grown into an international restaurant system with locations across North America and various markets in Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and other regions.