Zacks Research Brokers Reduce Earnings Estimates for PZZA

Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) – Equities researchers at Zacks Research dropped their Q2 2026 EPS estimates for Papa John’s International in a note issued to investors on Thursday, March 12th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the company will post earnings of $0.35 per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $0.49. Zacks Research 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 $0.36 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $1.50 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.42 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.47 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $0.49 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $1.90 EPS.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 company 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 business earned $0.63 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year.

A number of other research analysts have also recently commented on the company. Mizuho reduced their price objective on Papa John’s International from $40.00 to $34.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Benchmark dropped their target price 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 report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Stephens decreased their price target on Papa John’s International from $49.00 to $40.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 27th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Papa John’s International currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $45.00.

Papa John’s International Trading Down 0.4%

Shares of Papa John’s International stock opened at $35.54 on Monday. Papa John’s International has a twelve month low of $29.55 and a twelve month high of $55.74. The stock has a market cap of $1.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $34.65 and a 200 day moving average price of $41.22.

Institutional Trading of Papa John’s International

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of PZZA. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of Papa John’s International by 3.3% in the 3rd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 6,507 shares of the company’s stock worth $290,000 after buying an additional 206 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its position in Papa John’s International by 22.2% in the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,157 shares of the company’s stock valued at $56,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares during the period. Financial Advocates Investment Management raised its stake in Papa John’s International by 3.1% during the second quarter. Financial Advocates Investment Management now owns 7,623 shares of the company’s stock worth $373,000 after acquiring an additional 226 shares in the last quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Papa John’s International by 0.4% during the second quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC now owns 74,589 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,650,000 after acquiring an additional 271 shares during the period. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. increased 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 worth $249,000 after purchasing an additional 304 shares in the last quarter.

Papa John’s International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 9th were issued a dividend of $0.46 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 9th. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.2%. Papa John’s International’s payout ratio is 206.74%.

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.