Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) Reaches New 52-Week Low Following Analyst Downgrade

Shares of Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) reached a new 52-week low on Friday after Benchmark lowered their price target on the stock from $60.00 to $50.00. Benchmark currently has a buy rating on the stock. Papa John’s International traded as low as $30.16 and last traded at $30.5750, with a volume of 499203 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $30.91.

A number of other brokerages also recently commented on PZZA. Stephens reduced their target price on shares of Papa John’s International from $49.00 to $40.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday. Zacks Research raised shares of Papa John’s International from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Papa John’s International in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Mizuho lowered their target price on shares of Papa John’s International from $40.00 to $34.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $42.00 price target on shares of Papa John’s International in a report on Monday, November 10th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $45.00.

Trending Headlines about Papa John’s International

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

• Positive Sentiment: Benchmark trimmed its price target to $50 but kept a “buy” rating, implying ~59.5% upside from current levels, signaling continued analyst confidence. Benchmark Lowers PT to $50
• Positive Sentiment: Stephens cut its price target to $40 but maintained an “overweight” rating, keeping institutional support for the stock despite lower targets. Stephens Lowers PT to $40
• Positive Sentiment: Operational positives highlighted by analysts and commentators: 101 new international stores in Q4, nearly doubled free cash flow in 2025, and management guidance pointing to a return to EPS growth — items that support upside over time. Seeking Alpha: Swing Trade Thesis
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 results: EPS of $0.34 topped consensus by $0.01, but revenue missed ($498.2M vs. ~$517M est.) and revenue declined ~6% year-over-year — a mixed beat/miss that tempers near-term enthusiasm. Zacks: Q4 EPS Top Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Management is accelerating a transformation that includes significant closures — company commentary and some coverage cite 200 North America closures and others report plans to close ~300 underperforming U.S. shops — a sign of footprint contraction and near-term sales headwinds. Seeking Alpha: $60M Savings, 200 Closures
• Negative Sentiment: Broad coverage emphasizes soft North America results and weaker consumer demand, which pressured margins and prompted promotional activity — factors likely to weigh on near-term revenue growth. WSJ: Lower Profit & Revenue
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple outlets ran stories detailing hundreds of store closures and underperforming locations, reinforcing investor concern about U.S. demand and structural adjustments. Yahoo: Close 300 Locations

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Papa John’s International

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PZZA. Huntington National Bank grew its stake in Papa John’s International by 7,600.0% during the 2nd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 1,001 shares of the company’s stock valued at $49,000 after purchasing an additional 988 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Papa John’s International by 22.2% during the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,157 shares of the company’s stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Papa John’s International in the second quarter valued at approximately $59,000. Leonteq Securities AG acquired a new position in Papa John’s International in the 4th quarter worth approximately $71,000. Finally, Kestra Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in Papa John’s International in the 4th quarter worth approximately $73,000.

Papa John’s International Trading Up 1.4%

The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $36.00 and its 200-day simple moving average is $42.41. The company has a market capitalization of $1.03 billion, a PE ratio of 35.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 1.20.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.33 by $0.01. Papa John’s International had a net margin of 1.44% and a negative return on equity of 11.26%. The business had revenue of $498.18 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $517.25 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.63 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that Papa John’s International, Inc. will post 2.19 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Papa John’s International Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 9th were given a dividend of $0.46 per share. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 9th. Papa John’s International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 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.