Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) Stock Falls 4.4% – Here’s Why

Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) dropped 4.4% during trading on Wednesday. The company traded as low as $19.02 and last traded at $19.0980. Approximately 209,690 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 84% from the average daily volume of 1,287,898 shares. The stock had previously closed at $19.98.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

PZZA has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Benchmark downgraded shares of Papa John’s International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. Stephens reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and set a $19.00 target price on shares of Papa John’s International in a report on Thursday, November 5th. Mizuho dropped their price target on shares of Papa John’s International from $26.00 to $20.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 30th. UBS Group cut their price target on Papa John’s International from $28.00 to $21.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, November 2nd. Finally, Zacks Research raised Papa John’s International from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 19th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $28.57.

Papa John’s International Price Performance

The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $19.94 and a 200-day moving average price of $29.45. The company has a market capitalization of $634.49 million, a P/E ratio of 25.77, a P/E/G ratio of 0.71 and a beta of 1.17.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 5th. The company reported $0.16 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.16. Papa John’s International had a negative return on equity of 9.65% and a net margin of 1.31%. The firm had revenue of $454.84 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $459.48 million. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.32 EPS. The business’s revenue was down 10.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Papa John’s International, Inc. will post 1.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of PZZA. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Papa John’s International by 42.9% during the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 2,230 shares of the company’s stock valued at $72,000 after acquiring an additional 670 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new stake in shares of Papa John’s International in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Persistent Asset Partners Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Papa John’s International in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Moody National Bank Trust Division raised its holdings in shares of Papa John’s International by 2.3% in the 3rd quarter. Moody National Bank Trust Division now owns 42,439 shares of the company’s stock worth $836,000 after purchasing an additional 954 shares during the period. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its stake in 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 purchasing an additional 1,465 shares during the last quarter.

Papa John’s International Company Profile

Papa John’s International, Inc. operates and franchises pizza restaurants under the Papa Johns brand. Its restaurants offer pizza alongside sides, desserts and beverages, with ordering options that include delivery and carryout. The company was founded in 1984 by John Schnatter, who opened its first restaurant in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Papa Johns has since expanded across the United States and into international markets, serving customers through company-owned restaurants and franchised locations.