Benchmark Has Lowered Expectations for Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) Stock Price

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) had its price objective dropped by Benchmark from $60.00 to $50.00 in a report released on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the stock. Benchmark’s target price would indicate a potential upside of 59.49% from the stock’s previous close.

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

Papa John’s International Trading Up 1.4%

NASDAQ PZZA opened at $31.35 on Friday. Papa John’s International has a 1-year low of $30.16 and a 1-year high of $55.74. The company has a 50 day moving average of $36.00 and a 200-day moving average of $42.38. The firm has a market cap of $1.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.23, a PEG ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 1.20.

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Papa John’s International

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of PZZA. Huntington National Bank grew its holdings 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 worth $49,000 after acquiring an additional 988 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its stake 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 acquired a new stake in shares of Papa John’s International during the second quarter worth $59,000. Leonteq Securities AG bought a new stake in Papa John’s International in the fourth quarter valued at about $71,000. Finally, Kestra Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in Papa John’s International in the fourth quarter valued at about $73,000.

Papa John’s International News Roundup

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

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.