Comerica Bank Has $1.16 Million Position in Papa John's International, Inc. $PZZA

Key Points

• Comerica Bank increased its stake in Papa John's International by 49.7% during the first quarter, owning 28,233 shares valued at approximately $1.16 million.
• Papa John's International reported earnings of $0.41 per share, beating expectations and showing a revenue increase of 4.2% year-over-year, with profits driven by a net margin of 3.58%.
• The company recently declared a quarterly dividend of $0.46 per share, representing an annual yield of 3.9% with a payout ratio of 81.42%.

Comerica Bank grew its position in Papa John's International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA - Free Report) by 49.7% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 28,233 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 9,373 shares during the period. Comerica Bank owned about 0.09% of Papa John's International worth $1,160,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of PZZA. First Trust Advisors LP raised its holdings in Papa John's International by 564.8% in the fourth quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 26,977 shares of the company's stock worth $1,108,000 after purchasing an additional 22,919 shares during the period. Stifel Financial Corp raised its holdings in Papa John's International by 43.2% in the fourth quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 17,405 shares of the company's stock worth $715,000 after purchasing an additional 5,248 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp raised its holdings in Papa John's International by 9.8% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 363,253 shares of the company's stock worth $14,919,000 after purchasing an additional 32,416 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its holdings in Papa John's International by 18.4% in the fourth quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 149,697 shares of the company's stock worth $6,148,000 after purchasing an additional 23,260 shares during the period. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors acquired a new stake in Papa John's International in the fourth quarter worth $371,000.

Papa John's International Stock Down 1.8%

Shares of NASDAQ:PZZA opened at $47.37 on Friday. Papa John's International, Inc. has a 12 month low of $30.16 and a 12 month high of $60.75. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $45.91 and its 200 day simple moving average is $43.32. The firm has a market cap of $1.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.96, a PEG ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 1.15.

Papa John's International (NASDAQ:PZZA - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The company reported $0.41 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.34 by $0.07. Papa John's International had a net margin of 3.58% and a negative return on equity of 14.42%. The business had revenue of $529.17 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $515.48 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.61 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that Papa John's International, Inc. will post 2.19 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Papa John's International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 29th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 18th were paid a $0.46 dividend. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.9%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 18th. Papa John's International's payout ratio is presently 81.42%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. UBS Group reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $42.00 target price (up from $38.00) on shares of Papa John's International in a report on Monday, August 4th. Stephens reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $52.00 price target (up previously from $50.00) on shares of Papa John's International in a research note on Friday, August 8th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on shares of Papa John's International from $38.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, August 15th. Loop Capital dropped their price objective on shares of Papa John's International from $60.00 to $56.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 9th. Finally, Benchmark restated a "buy" rating and set a $60.00 price objective (up from $50.00) on shares of Papa John's International in a report on Monday, August 11th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Papa John's International has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $52.33.

Papa John's International Profile

Papa John's International, Inc engages in the operation and franchise of pizza delivery and carryout restaurants. It operates through the following segments: Domestic Company-owned Restaurants, North America Franchising, North America Commissaries, International Operations, and All Others. The Domestic Company-Owned Restaurants segment consists of retail sales of pizza and side items, breadsticks, cheese sticks, chicken poppers and wings, dessert items, and canned and bottled beverages.

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