Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC Sells 238,775 Shares of Papa John’s International, Inc. $PZZA

Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC reduced its stake in Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) by 22.5% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 821,314 shares of the company’s stock after selling 238,775 shares during the period. Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC’s holdings in Papa John’s International were worth $26,619,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of PZZA. Great Hill Capital LLC bought a new position in Papa John’s International during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $5,843,000. Willis Investment Counsel purchased a new position in shares of Papa John’s International during the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,336,000. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Papa John’s International by 2.7% in the 4th quarter. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. now owns 1,657,994 shares of the company’s stock worth $63,816,000 after acquiring an additional 42,810 shares during the last quarter. Heartland Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in Papa John’s International by 53.3% in the first quarter. Heartland Advisors Inc. now owns 239,850 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,774,000 after purchasing an additional 83,350 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Anson Funds Management LP bought a new stake in Papa John’s International in the first quarter worth $2,431,000.

Papa John’s International Stock Performance

NASDAQ PZZA opened at $29.90 on Friday. Papa John’s International, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $29.55 and a fifty-two week high of $55.74. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $33.41 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $34.14. The stock has a market cap of $983.71 million, a P/E ratio of 36.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 1.12.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $485.51 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.36 earnings per share. Papa John’s International’s quarterly revenue was down 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that Papa John’s International, Inc. will post 1.48 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 was Monday, May 18th. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.2%. Papa John’s International’s payout ratio is 221.69%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Wall Street Zen raised Papa John’s International from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, July 26th. Bank of America reissued an “underperform” rating and issued a $34.00 target price (down from $42.00) on shares of Papa John’s International in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Papa John’s International in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. Mizuho cut their price target on shares of Papa John’s International from $33.00 to $32.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Finally, Piper Sandler decreased their price objective on shares of Papa John’s International from $32.00 to $30.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $36.38.

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.