Papa John’s International, Inc. $PZZA Shares Sold by Savoir Faire Capital Management L.P.

Savoir Faire Capital Management L.P. lowered its position in shares of Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) by 15.4% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 77,523 shares of the company’s stock after selling 14,118 shares during the quarter. Papa John’s International makes up about 1.3% of Savoir Faire Capital Management L.P.’s holdings, making the stock its 28th largest holding. Savoir Faire Capital Management L.P.’s holdings in Papa John’s International were worth $3,733,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in Papa John’s International in the 2nd quarter valued at $309,000. WBI Investments LLC boosted its stake in Papa John’s International by 46.5% during the 2nd quarter. WBI Investments LLC now owns 37,844 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,852,000 after purchasing an additional 12,004 shares during the last quarter. Gradient Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Papa John’s International during the third quarter worth $13,036,000. Brandes Investment Partners LP grew its holdings in shares of Papa John’s International by 271.6% during the second quarter. Brandes Investment Partners LP now owns 690,299 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,783,000 after buying an additional 504,514 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC raised its position in shares of Papa John’s International by 18.9% in the second quarter. Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC now owns 922,809 shares of the company’s stock valued at $45,162,000 after buying an additional 146,640 shares during the last quarter.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Bank of America restated a “neutral” rating and set a $50.00 price target (down from $62.00) on shares of Papa John’s International in a research report on Monday, October 6th. Stephens lowered their target price on Papa John’s International from $50.00 to $49.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 7th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Papa John’s International in a research report on Monday, December 29th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $42.00 price target on shares of Papa John’s International in a report on Monday, November 10th. Finally, Mizuho lowered their price objective on Papa John’s International from $44.00 to $40.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $49.44.

Papa John’s International Stock Performance

PZZA opened at $36.90 on Monday. Papa John’s International, Inc. has a one year low of $30.16 and a one year high of $55.74. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.21 billion, a PE ratio of 32.95, a P/E/G ratio of 3.05 and a beta of 1.16. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $39.75 and its 200 day moving average price is $44.17.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported $0.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.40 by ($0.08). Papa John’s International had a negative return on equity of 13.54% and a net margin of 1.79%.The business had revenue of $508.15 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $523.67 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.43 EPS. Papa John’s International’s revenue was up .3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Papa John’s International, Inc. will post 2.19 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Papa John’s International Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 28th. Investors of record on Monday, November 17th were issued a $0.46 dividend. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.0%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 17th. Papa John’s International’s payout ratio is 164.29%.

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.