Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) Receives Average Recommendation of “Hold” from Brokerages

Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) has received a consensus rating of “Hold” from the twelve analysts that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $48.7778.

PZZA has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Stephens decreased their target price on Papa John’s International from $50.00 to $49.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 7th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Papa John’s International in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Mizuho reduced their price objective on shares of Papa John’s International from $40.00 to $34.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Papa John’s International from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. Finally, UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and set a $42.00 price target on shares of Papa John’s International in a report on Monday, November 10th.

Papa John’s International Price Performance

PZZA stock opened at $31.59 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $1.04 billion, a PE ratio of 28.21, a P/E/G ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 1.20. Papa John’s International has a 12 month low of $30.16 and a 12 month high of $55.74. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $36.83 and a 200 day simple moving average of $42.77.

Papa John’s International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 9th were issued a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 9th. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.8%. Papa John’s International’s dividend payout ratio is presently 164.29%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of PZZA. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its position in 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 worth $290,000 after acquiring an additional 206 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of 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 worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. Financial Advocates Investment Management boosted its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 226 shares during the period. Isthmus Partners LLC grew its position in 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 purchasing an additional 271 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. increased its stake in Papa John’s International by 6.2% in the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 5,176 shares of the company’s stock valued at $249,000 after buying an additional 304 shares during the period.

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.