Zacks Research Issues Pessimistic Estimate for PZZA Earnings

Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) – Stock analysts at Zacks Research dropped their Q3 2026 earnings per share estimates for Papa John’s International in a research note issued on Thursday, October 22nd. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the company will post earnings per share of $0.10 for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $0.14. Zacks Research currently has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Papa John’s International’s current full-year earnings is $1.16 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Papa John’s International’s Q4 2026 earnings at $0.30 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $1.20 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.30 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.30 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $0.30 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $0.40 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $0.30 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $1.60 EPS.

A number of other brokerages have also commented on PZZA. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Papa John’s International from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, July 26th. Mizuho cut their target price on Papa John’s International from $33.00 to $32.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Benchmark lowered Papa John’s International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Weiss Ratings cut Papa John’s International from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. Finally, Stephens cut their price target on Papa John’s International from $24.00 to $19.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 15th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $31.29.

Papa John’s International Trading Up 2.3%

PZZA opened at $18.66 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $21.10 and a 200-day moving average of $29.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $614.29 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.67, a P/E/G ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 1.13. Papa John’s International has a 1-year low of $17.94 and a 1-year high of $55.74.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported $0.46 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.45 by $0.01. Papa John’s International had a negative return on equity of 10.98% and a net margin of 1.34%. The firm had revenue of $482.40 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $481.25 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.41 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Papa John’s International

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Quadrant Capital Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Papa John’s International during the third quarter worth approximately $445,000. Daytona Street Capital LLC bought a new position in Papa John’s International during the 3rd quarter worth $94,000. Chiron Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Papa John’s International during the third quarter worth $439,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in shares of Papa John’s International by 183.1% in the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 4,434 shares of the company’s stock valued at $87,000 after acquiring an additional 2,868 shares during the period. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Papa John’s International by 63.6% in the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 3,768 shares of the company’s stock valued at $74,000 after acquiring an additional 1,465 shares during the period.

Papa John’s International News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised several future earnings forecasts. Estimates increased for Q4 2026, Q1 2027, Q3 and Q4 2027, Q2 2028, and FY2028. The FY2028 EPS forecast rose to $1.60 from $1.54, suggesting analysts see potential for longer-term earnings improvement. Zacks maintained a Hold rating. Papa John’s International analyst coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: The overall revision picture is mixed. Zacks lowered its Q3 2026 EPS estimate to $0.10 from $0.14, reduced FY2026 expectations slightly to $1.20 from $1.21, and cut Q1 2028 to $0.40 from $0.44. However, the revised FY2026 estimate remains above the broader consensus forecast of $1.16 per share.
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms are promoting a securities class-action lawsuit against Papa John’s. The litigation covers investors who purchased shares from August 7, 2025, through August 5, 2026, with a November 2, 2026 deadline to seek lead-plaintiff status. The allegations include inadequate disclosure of weak North American market-share trends, disappointing comparable sales, a suspended dividend, and a reduced outlook. These are allegations, not established findings, but the legal overhang could pressure sentiment and create potential financial or reputational risk. Papa John’s shareholder lawsuit deadline

About Papa John’s International

Papa John’s International, Inc operates and franchises restaurants under the Papa Johns brand. The company specializes in pizza and related food products, serving customers primarily through delivery, carryout and dine-in locations, as well as online and mobile ordering platforms.

Its menu includes a variety of pizzas with different crusts and toppings, along with sides such as breadsticks, chicken products and desserts. Papa Johns also offers soft drinks, dipping sauces and other complementary items, with menus and promotions adapted to local markets.

Founded in 1984 by John Schnatter, Papa Johns has grown into an international restaurant system with locations across North America and various markets in Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and other regions.