Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) Given Average Rating of “Hold” by Brokerages

Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) has earned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the twelve brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $49.4444.

Several research firms have recently issued reports on PZZA. Zacks Research upgraded Papa John’s International from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Mizuho reduced their target price 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. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Papa John’s International in a research report on Monday, December 29th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $42.00 price target on shares of Papa John’s International in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Finally, Stephens cut their price target on shares of Papa John’s International from $50.00 to $49.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, November 7th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Papa John’s International

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PZZA. Royal Bank of Canada raised its holdings in shares of Papa John’s International by 32.8% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 19,028 shares of the company’s stock valued at $781,000 after purchasing an additional 4,705 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Papa John’s International in the 1st quarter valued at about $600,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Papa John’s International by 4.6% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 19,785 shares of the company’s stock worth $813,000 after acquiring an additional 879 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Papa John’s International by 25.0% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 310,653 shares of the company’s stock valued at $12,762,000 after purchasing an additional 62,103 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its stake in Papa John’s International by 81.4% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 112,592 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,625,000 after buying an additional 50,536 shares during the last quarter.

Papa John’s International Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:PZZA opened at $31.79 on Tuesday. Papa John’s International has a twelve month low of $30.16 and a twelve month high of $55.74. The firm has a market cap of $1.04 billion, a PE ratio of 28.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 1.20. The business has a fifty day moving average of $37.58 and a 200-day moving average of $43.02.

Papa John’s International Dividend Announcement

The firm 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 $0.46 dividend. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.8%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 9th. Papa John’s International’s dividend payout ratio is 164.29%.

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.