Savoir Faire Capital Management L.P. Sells 14,118 Shares of Papa John’s International, Inc. $PZZA

Savoir Faire Capital Management L.P. decreased its position in shares of Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) by 15.4% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 77,523 shares of the company’s stock after selling 14,118 shares during the quarter. Papa John’s International accounts for 1.3% of Savoir Faire Capital Management L.P.’s portfolio, making the stock its 28th largest position. Savoir Faire Capital Management L.P. owned about 0.24% of Papa John’s International worth $3,733,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its stake in shares of Papa John’s International by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 6,507 shares of the company’s stock valued at $290,000 after purchasing an additional 206 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its position 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 valued at $56,000 after buying an additional 210 shares during the last quarter. Financial Advocates Investment Management lifted its stake in Papa John’s International by 3.1% in the 2nd quarter. Financial Advocates Investment Management now owns 7,623 shares of the company’s stock worth $373,000 after purchasing an additional 226 shares in the last quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Papa John’s International by 0.4% in the second quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC now owns 74,589 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,650,000 after buying an additional 271 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. boosted its position in shares of Papa John’s International by 6.2% during the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 5,176 shares of the company’s stock valued at $249,000 after acquiring an additional 304 shares during the last quarter.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

PZZA has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Zacks Research lowered shares of Papa John’s International from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Papa John’s International in a report on Monday, December 29th. Mizuho reduced their price target on shares of 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. Stephens reduced their price target on Papa John’s International from $50.00 to $49.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Finally, UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $42.00 target price on shares of Papa John’s International in a research report on Monday, November 10th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $49.44.

Papa John’s International Stock Down 1.8%

PZZA stock opened at $36.90 on Monday. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $39.75 and its 200-day simple moving average is $44.17. Papa John’s International, Inc. has a 52-week low of $30.16 and a 52-week high of $55.74. The firm has a market cap of $1.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.95, a PEG ratio of 3.05 and a beta of 1.16.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.40 by ($0.08). The business had revenue of $508.15 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $523.67 million. Papa John’s International had a net margin of 1.79% and a negative return on equity of 13.54%. Papa John’s International’s revenue for the quarter was up .3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.43 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Papa John’s International, Inc. will post 2.19 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Papa John’s International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 17th were paid a dividend of $0.46 per share. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 17th. Papa John’s International’s dividend payout ratio is presently 164.29%.

Papa John’s International 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.