Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) Upgraded at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Papa John’s International’s Q2 2026 earnings at $0.49 EPS.

A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on PZZA. Bank of America reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $50.00 price target (down from $62.00) on shares of Papa John’s International in a research report on Monday, October 6th. Stephens cut their price target on Papa John’s International from $50.00 to $49.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, November 7th. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $42.00 price objective on shares of Papa John’s International in a research report on Monday, November 10th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Papa John’s International in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Mizuho lowered their price target on Papa John’s International from $44.00 to $40.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 9th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $49.44.

Papa John’s International Stock Down 1.6%

Shares of PZZA opened at $35.71 on Monday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $39.50 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $43.96. Papa John’s International has a 52 week low of $30.16 and a 52 week high of $55.74. The stock has a market cap of $1.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.88, a PEG ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 1.16.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported $0.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.40 by ($0.08). The company had revenue of $508.15 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $523.67 million. Papa John’s International had a net margin of 1.79% and a negative return on equity of 13.54%. The company’s revenue was up .3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.43 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Papa John’s International will post 2.19 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Papa John’s International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 20th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 9th will be issued a dividend of $0.46 per share. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.2%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 9th. Papa John’s International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 164.29%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its stake in Papa John’s International by 181.8% during the second quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 947 shares of the company’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 611 shares in the last quarter. Huntington National Bank increased its holdings in shares of Papa John’s International by 7,600.0% in the 2nd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 1,001 shares of the company’s stock worth $49,000 after buying an additional 988 shares during the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Papa John’s International during the 2nd quarter valued at about $59,000. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in shares of Papa John’s International by 41.0% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,702 shares of the company’s stock valued at $82,000 after buying an additional 495 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nisa Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Papa John’s International by 342.9% in the 3rd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,767 shares of the company’s stock valued at $85,000 after acquiring an additional 1,368 shares during 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.