PZZA Stock Gets Reduced EPS Estimate from Zacks Research

Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) – Research analysts at Zacks Research decreased their Q3 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Papa John’s International in a research report issued on Thursday, October 22nd. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the company will earn $0.10 per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $0.14. Zacks Research has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Papa John’s International’s current full-year earnings is $1.16 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Papa John’s International’s Q4 2026 earnings at $0.30 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $1.20 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.30 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.30 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $0.30 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $0.40 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $0.30 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $1.60 EPS.

Several other research firms have also commented on PZZA. Piper Sandler decreased their target price on shares of Papa John’s International from $30.00 to $26.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 7th. UBS Group lowered their price objective on shares of Papa John’s International from $33.00 to $28.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Weiss Ratings cut Papa John’s International from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. Stephens decreased their price target on Papa John’s International from $24.00 to $19.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 15th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Papa John’s International from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, July 26th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Papa John’s International currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $31.29.

Papa John’s International Stock Up 2.3%

PZZA stock opened at $18.66 on Friday. Papa John’s International has a 52 week low of $17.94 and a 52 week high of $55.74. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $21.10 and a 200 day simple moving average of $29.00. The company has a market cap of $614.29 million, a PE ratio of 12.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 1.13.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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. The firm had revenue of $482.40 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $481.25 million. Papa John’s International had a negative return on equity of 10.98% and a net margin of 1.34%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.41 EPS.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in Papa John’s International during the 2nd quarter worth $182,315,000. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new stake in shares of Papa John’s International during the second quarter worth about $83,186,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in shares of Papa John’s International by 8.5% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 626,352 shares of the company’s stock worth $20,300,000 after purchasing an additional 49,031 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new position in shares of Papa John’s International in the second quarter valued at approximately $13,942,000. Finally, Alberta Investment Management Corp bought a new position in Papa John’s International in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $10,138,000.

Key Papa John’s International News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised several future earnings forecasts. Estimates increased for Q4 2026, Q1 2027, Q3 and Q4 2027, Q2 2028, and FY2028. The FY2028 EPS forecast rose to $1.60 from $1.54, suggesting analysts see potential for longer-term earnings improvement. Zacks maintained a Hold rating. Papa John’s International analyst coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: The overall revision picture is mixed. Zacks lowered its Q3 2026 EPS estimate to $0.10 from $0.14, reduced FY2026 expectations slightly to $1.20 from $1.21, and cut Q1 2028 to $0.40 from $0.44. However, the revised FY2026 estimate remains above the broader consensus forecast of $1.16 per share.
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms are promoting a securities class-action lawsuit against Papa John’s. The litigation covers investors who purchased shares from August 7, 2025, through August 5, 2026, with a November 2, 2026 deadline to seek lead-plaintiff status. The allegations include inadequate disclosure of weak North American market-share trends, disappointing comparable sales, a suspended dividend, and a reduced outlook. These are allegations, not established findings, but the legal overhang could pressure sentiment and create potential financial or reputational risk. Papa John’s shareholder lawsuit deadline

Papa John’s International Company Profile

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.