Papa John's International's (PZZA) Equal Weight Rating Reiterated at Stephens

Key Points

• Stephens reaffirmed its Equal Weight rating on Papa John’s and set a $19 price target, implying 4.95% downside from the prior close.
• Analyst sentiment is cautious: MarketBeat reports a consensus “Reduce” rating and an average price target of $28.57, with seven Hold and two Sell ratings.
• Papa John’s matched quarterly EPS expectations at $0.16 but revenue of $454.84 million came in below analysts’ $459.48 million forecast.

Papa John's International (NASDAQ:PZZA - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "equal weight" rating reaffirmed by research analysts at Stephens in a note issued to investors on Thursday, Benzinga reports. They currently have a $19.00 target price on the stock. Stephens's target price suggests a potential downside of 4.95% from the company's previous close.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Benchmark lowered shares of Papa John's International from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. UBS Group reduced their target price on Papa John's International from $28.00 to $21.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Monday. Mizuho reduced their price objective on Papa John's International from $26.00 to $20.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 30th. Bank of America cut shares of Papa John's International from a "neutral" rating to an "underperform" rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $42.00 to $34.00 in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, 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 note on Friday, August 7th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $28.57.

Papa John's International Stock Up 7.7%

Shares of PZZA stock opened at $19.99 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $658.07 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.89, a PEG ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 1.17. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $20.21 and a 200 day moving average of $29.80. Papa John's International has a 52 week low of $17.69 and a 52 week high of $48.83.

Papa John's International (NASDAQ:PZZA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 5th. The company reported $0.16 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.16. Papa John's International had a net margin of 1.34% and a negative return on equity of 10.98%. The business had revenue of $454.84 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $459.48 million. Equities research analysts anticipate that Papa John's International will post 1.12 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Papa John's International

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased a new stake in Papa John's International during the second quarter worth $29,000. Persistent Asset Partners Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Papa John's International in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its position in Papa John's International by 656.7% during the third quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 2,081 shares of the company's stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 1,806 shares during the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Papa John's International by 42.9% during the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 2,230 shares of the company's stock valued at $72,000 after purchasing an additional 670 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fulcrum Asset Management LLP purchased a new stake in Papa John's International in the third quarter valued at about $73,000.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.