Papa John's International (NASDAQ:PZZA) Stock Breaks Above Fifty Day Moving Average - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• Papa John’s shares rose 5.2% and moved above their 50-day moving average, trading at $20.75 versus the average of $20.01. The stock remains below its 200-day moving average of $29.54.
• Analyst sentiment is cautious: seven analysts rate the shares Hold and two rate them Sell, giving the stock a consensus “Reduce” rating. Recent firms cut price targets, although MarketBeat’s reported consensus target is $28.57.
• Quarterly EPS of $0.16 matched estimates, but revenue of $454.84 million fell short of forecasts and declined 10.5% year over year; EPS was $0.32 in the year-ago quarter.

Papa John's International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA - Get Free Report) passed above its 50-day moving average during trading on Monday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $20.01 and traded as high as $20.94. Papa John's International shares last traded at $20.75, with a volume of 1,414,995 shares.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Piper Sandler decreased their target price on shares of Papa John's International from $30.00 to $26.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 7th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Papa John's International from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "sell (d)" rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Benchmark downgraded shares of Papa John's International from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Mizuho lowered 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 report on Friday, October 30th. Finally, Stephens restated an "equal weight" rating and issued a $19.00 price target on shares of Papa John's International in a research note on Thursday, November 5th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Papa John's International currently has an average rating of "Reduce" and a consensus price target of $28.57.

Papa John's International Trading Up 5.2%

The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $20.01 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $29.54. The firm has a market capitalization of $683.09 million, a P/E ratio of 27.67, a P/E/G ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.17.

Papa John's International (NASDAQ:PZZA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 5th. The company reported $0.16 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.16. The company had revenue of $454.84 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $459.48 million. Papa John's International had a negative return on equity of 10.98% and a net margin of 1.34%. The firm's revenue was down 10.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.32 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Papa John's International, Inc. will post 1.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new stake in shares of Papa John's International in the 2nd quarter worth $29,000. Persistent Asset Partners Ltd acquired a new position in Papa John's International during the second quarter valued at $33,000. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its holdings in shares of Papa John's International by 656.7% in the 3rd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 2,081 shares of the company's stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 1,806 shares during the period. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Papa John's International by 636.2% in the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 2,194 shares of the company's stock valued at $43,000 after buying an additional 1,896 shares during the period. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Papa John's International by 42.9% in the first quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 2,230 shares of the company's stock worth $72,000 after buying an additional 670 shares during the last quarter.

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.

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