FY2026 Earnings Estimate for PZZA Issued By Zacks Research

Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) – Investment analysts at Zacks Research upped their FY2026 earnings per share estimates for shares of Papa John’s International in a research report issued on Tuesday, January 27th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the company will post earnings per share of $1.92 for the year, up from their previous estimate of $1.88. Zacks Research currently has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Papa John’s International’s current full-year earnings is $2.19 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Papa John’s International’s Q4 2026 earnings at $0.51 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.50 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $0.48 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.58 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $0.55 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $2.11 EPS.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on PZZA. Stephens cut their price objective 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. UBS Group restated 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. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Papa John’s International in a report on Monday, December 29th. Mizuho decreased their price objective 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. Finally, Bank of America restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $50.00 target price (down from $62.00) on shares of Papa John’s International in a research report on Monday, October 6th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Papa John’s International currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $49.44.

Papa John’s International Stock Performance

Shares of PZZA opened at $35.88 on Thursday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $39.45 and a 200-day moving average of $43.90. The company has a market cap of $1.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 1.16. Papa John’s International has a 1 year low of $30.16 and a 1 year high of $55.74.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported $0.32 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.40 by ($0.08). Papa John’s International had a negative return on equity of 13.54% and a net margin of 1.79%.The company had revenue of $508.15 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $523.67 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.43 earnings per share. Papa John’s International’s quarterly revenue was up .3% compared to the same quarter last year.

Papa John’s International Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced 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. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.1%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 9th. Papa John’s International’s dividend payout ratio is 164.29%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Papa John’s International

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Royal Bank of Canada raised its stake in shares of Papa John’s International by 32.8% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 19,028 shares of the company’s stock worth $781,000 after buying an additional 4,705 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Papa John’s International during the first quarter worth about $600,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its holdings in Papa John’s International by 4.6% during the first 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. raised its position in 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 worth $12,762,000 after acquiring an additional 62,103 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 50,536 shares during the last quarter.

Trending Headlines about Papa John’s International

Here are the key news stories impacting Papa John’s International this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research upgraded PZZA from “strong sell” to “hold” and repeatedly nudged up quarterly and full‑year EPS forecasts (multiple Q2–Q4 and FY2026/FY2027 raises). The firm now sees FY2027 EPS around $2.11 (up from prior $2.07) and modest increases to several quarterly estimates — a near‑term ratings/estimate lift that can support buying interest. Zacks Research
• Positive Sentiment: Short interest dropped ~13.5% in January to ~3.32M shares (about 10.3% of shares sold short; days‑to‑cover ~3.8). Lower short positions reduce near‑term selling pressure and the risk of short‑squeeze volatility — a constructive technical/positioning development for the stock.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysis highlighting that PZZA is trading well below a prior Apollo takeover bid (reported ~44% discount) may rekindle investor hopes for M&A upside or a re‑rating toward prior bid levels, supporting demand. Seeking Alpha: Trading At 44% Discount To Prior Apollo Bid
• Neutral Sentiment: Despite the estimate increases, Zacks retains a “Hold” rating and its FY2027 view (~$2.11) remains slightly below the broader consensus (~$2.19), implying that while expectations have improved, meaningful upside requires continued execution and/or upside to consensus.

Papa John’s International Company Profile

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.