Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) Stock Rating Lowered by Zacks Research

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) was downgraded by equities research analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report released on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities analysts have also commented on the stock. Piper Sandler cut their price target on shares of Papa John’s International from $32.00 to $30.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 8th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Papa John’s International from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, June 6th. Weiss Ratings lowered Papa John’s International from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Monday, May 18th. Benchmark decreased their target price on shares of Papa John’s International from $50.00 to $45.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Finally, Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $40.00 price target on shares of Papa John’s International in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Papa John’s International has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $36.50.

Papa John’s International Stock Performance

PZZA stock opened at $33.20 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.09 billion, a PE ratio of 40.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 1.12. Papa John’s International has a 52 week low of $29.55 and a 52 week high of $55.74. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $33.83 and its 200 day simple moving average is $34.78.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $0.32 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.40 by ($0.08). The firm had revenue of $478.61 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $485.51 million. Papa John’s International had a net margin of 1.37% and a negative return on equity of 10.71%. Papa John’s International’s quarterly revenue was down 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.36 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that Papa John’s International will post 1.48 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Papa John’s International

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of PZZA. Private Advisor Group LLC lifted its holdings in Papa John’s International by 6.5% during the third quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 5,220 shares of the company’s stock worth $251,000 after buying an additional 319 shares during the period. State of Alaska Department of Revenue raised its position in shares of Papa John’s International by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 18,642 shares of the company’s stock worth $716,000 after acquiring an additional 328 shares in the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its position in Papa John’s International by 0.8% during the third quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 42,662 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,054,000 after purchasing an additional 354 shares in the last quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC grew its stake in Papa John’s International by 6.3% in the fourth quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 6,176 shares of the company’s stock valued at $238,000 after purchasing an additional 367 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Intech Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Papa John’s International by 3.6% during the fourth quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 11,467 shares of the company’s stock valued at $441,000 after buying an additional 397 shares during the last quarter.

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.