Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) Shares Gap Down – Time to Sell?

Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) shares gapped down before the market opened on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $36.77, but opened at $34.58. Papa John’s International shares last traded at $34.7450, with a volume of 470,481 shares changing hands.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Benchmark decreased their target price on shares of Papa John’s International from $50.00 to $45.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $40.00 price target on shares of Papa John’s International in a research note on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Papa John’s International from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, June 6th. Mizuho decreased their price objective on shares of Papa John’s International from $34.00 to $33.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Piper Sandler lowered their target price on Papa John’s International from $32.00 to $30.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $38.50.

Papa John’s International Stock Performance

The company’s fifty day moving average price is $34.21 and its 200 day moving average price is $35.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 1.12.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.40 by ($0.08). Papa John’s International had a negative return on equity of 10.71% and a net margin of 1.37%.The business had revenue of $478.61 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $485.51 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.36 EPS. Papa John’s International’s revenue was down 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Papa John’s International, Inc. will post 1.51 earnings per share for the current year.

Papa John’s International Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 29th. Investors of record on Monday, May 18th were issued a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 18th. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.1%. Papa John’s International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 221.69%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Anson Funds Management LP acquired a new stake in Papa John’s International in the first quarter worth $2,431,000. Arkadios Wealth Advisors acquired a new position in shares of Papa John’s International during the first quarter valued at $650,000. California State Teachers Retirement System boosted its holdings in shares of Papa John’s International by 22.3% during the first quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 47,121 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,527,000 after acquiring an additional 8,584 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada grew its position in shares of Papa John’s International by 76.8% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 60,624 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,964,000 after acquiring an additional 26,335 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Excelsior Advisor Network LLC bought a new position in shares of Papa John’s International during the first quarter worth about $212,000.

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.