Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Analysts

Shares of Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) have earned a consensus rating of “Hold” from the ten ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $45.00.

Several brokerages have weighed in on PZZA. Mizuho lowered their price target 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. Benchmark decreased their price target on Papa John’s International from $60.00 to $50.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 27th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Papa John’s International in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Stephens dropped their price target on Papa John’s International from $49.00 to $40.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 27th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Papa John’s International from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, January 26th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Papa John’s International

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted 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 worth $56,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares during the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Papa John’s International during the second quarter valued at approximately $59,000. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake in shares of Papa John’s International by 41.0% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,702 shares of the company’s stock valued at $82,000 after buying an additional 495 shares during the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Papa John’s International by 342.9% during the third quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,767 shares of the company’s stock valued at $85,000 after buying an additional 1,368 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Leonteq Securities AG purchased a new stake in shares of Papa John’s International in the fourth quarter worth approximately $71,000.

Papa John’s International News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Reports that Qatari‑backed Irth Capital (and other suitors) have submitted a roughly $1.5 billion take‑private proposal (~$47/share) are driving upside because the offer represents a material premium to recent trading and creates buyout speculation. Papa John’s Weighs Takeover Offer As Valuation And Risks Stay In Focus
• Positive Sentiment: Market headlines showing a sharp intraday jump (reports of a 15–19% surge) reinforce momentum and short‑term buying tied to the takeover narrative. Papa John’s (PZZA) Stock Jumps 19% Following $1.5B Buyout Proposal
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO comments indicate management remains focused on competing and running the business rather than treating the bid as a certainty — that could slow a quick transaction and keeps operational execution in focus. Papa John’s CEO Focuses on Competing, Not Take-Private Bid
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/industry pieces highlight Papa John’s ongoing digital and loyalty investments — a longer‑term positive for sales and margins but unlikely to move the stock as much as takeover speculation in the near term. Can Papa John’s Digital Investments & Loyalty Expansion Drive Growth?
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research issued mixed estimate changes: they trimmed Q1 and Q3 2026 EPS forecasts (and left a Hold rating) even as they raised a Q2 2027 forecast—these downward near‑term revisions highlight margin and revenue risk and temper the fundamentals under the takeover chatter.

Papa John’s International Trading Up 1.9%

Shares of PZZA opened at $36.79 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $1.21 billion, a PE ratio of 41.34, a P/E/G ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 1.23. Papa John’s International has a 1-year low of $29.55 and a 1-year high of $55.74. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $34.82 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $41.50.

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, 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 11.16%. The firm had revenue of $498.18 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $517.25 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.63 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts forecast that Papa John’s International 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 paid a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 9th. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.0%. Papa John’s International’s payout ratio is presently 206.74%.

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.