Papa John's International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Hold" from Analysts

Key Points

• Papa John's has a consensus "Hold" from 10 analysts (seven hold, three buy) with an average 12‑month price target of $45.00.
• The company slightly beat quarterly EPS expectations ($0.34 vs. $0.33) but missed on revenue ($498.2M vs. $517.3M), with revenue down 6.1% year‑over‑year and a low net margin (1.44%) and negative ROE (‑11.16%).
• Shares recently traded around $35.50 (12‑month range $29.55–$55.74) with a market cap of ~$1.17B and P/E ~39.9, while several analysts have trimmed price targets and issued mixed ratings (buy/overweight/neutral/hold).

Papa John's International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA - Get Free Report) has received a consensus recommendation of "Hold" from the ten ratings firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $45.00.

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on PZZA shares. Stephens reduced their price objective on shares of Papa John's International from $49.00 to $40.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 27th. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Papa John's International in a report on Friday, March 27th. Benchmark cut their price target on shares of Papa John's International from $60.00 to $50.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Mizuho decreased their price target on Papa John's International from $40.00 to $34.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Zacks Research raised Papa John's International from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th.

Papa John's International Stock Down 1.9%

Papa John's International stock opened at $35.50 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $34.53 and a 200-day moving average of $38.59. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.17 billion, a PE ratio of 39.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.06 and a beta of 1.18. Papa John's International has a twelve month low of $29.55 and a twelve month high of $55.74.

Papa John's International (NASDAQ:PZZA - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.33 by $0.01. Papa John's International had a net margin of 1.44% and a negative return on equity of 11.16%. The business had revenue of $498.18 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $517.25 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.63 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was down 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that Papa John's International will post 1.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Papa John's International

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its stake in Papa John's International by 3.3% in the third quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 6,507 shares of the company's stock valued at $290,000 after buying an additional 206 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Papa John's International by 22.2% in the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,157 shares of the company's stock valued at $56,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Papa John's International by 6.5% in the 3rd quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 5,220 shares of the company's stock valued at $251,000 after acquiring an additional 319 shares in the last quarter. Amalgamated Bank lifted its position in shares of Papa John's International by 3.4% during the 3rd quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 9,675 shares of the company's stock valued at $466,000 after acquiring an additional 322 shares during the period. Finally, State of Alaska Department of Revenue boosted its stake in Papa John's International by 1.8% during the fourth 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.

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.

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