Heartland Advisors Inc. Raises Holdings in Papa John’s International, Inc. $PZZA

Heartland Advisors Inc. increased its position in Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) by 25.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 125,000 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 25,000 shares during the period. Heartland Advisors Inc. owned 0.38% of Papa John’s International worth $6,019,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Huntington National Bank increased its position in Papa John’s International by 7,600.0% during the second 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 period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its holdings 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 during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Papa John’s International in the 2nd quarter valued at $59,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in Papa John’s International by 41.0% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,702 shares of the company’s stock worth $82,000 after purchasing an additional 495 shares during the period. Finally, Nisa Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Papa John’s International by 342.9% during the 3rd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,767 shares of the company’s stock worth $85,000 after purchasing an additional 1,368 shares during the period.

Papa John’s International Trading Down 1.4%

NASDAQ PZZA opened at $31.33 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.97, a PEG ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 1.20. The business’s 50 day moving average is $37.39 and its two-hundred day moving average is $42.95. Papa John’s International, Inc. has a 12-month low of $30.16 and a 12-month high of $55.74.

Papa John’s International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 20th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 9th will be given a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 9th. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.9%. Papa John’s International’s dividend payout ratio is presently 164.29%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have commented on PZZA shares. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Papa John’s International in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Stephens reduced their price objective 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. Zacks Research raised Papa John’s International from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $42.00 target price on shares of Papa John’s International in a report on Monday, November 10th. Finally, Mizuho decreased their price target on Papa John’s International from $44.00 to $40.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 9th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $49.44.

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.