Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) Reaches New 52-Week Low – Time to Sell?

Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) shares hit a new 52-week low during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $22.65 and last traded at $22.71, with a volume of 1094713 shares. The stock had previously closed at $23.48.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. UBS Group lowered their target price on Papa John’s International from $33.00 to $28.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 7th. Mizuho reduced their price target on shares of Papa John’s International from $33.00 to $32.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Benchmark cut shares of Papa John’s International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Papa John’s International from a “sell (d)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Zacks Research lowered shares of Papa John’s International from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $32.00.

Papa John’s International Price Performance

The company has a 50-day moving average of $29.31 and a two-hundred day moving average of $32.31. The company has a market capitalization of $756.34 million, a PE ratio of 29.08, a P/E/G ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 1.08.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported $0.46 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $481.25 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.41 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Papa John’s International, Inc. will post 1.22 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Papa John’s International

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Papa John’s International during the 2nd quarter valued at $182,315,000. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new position in Papa John’s International in the 2nd quarter worth $83,186,000. California State Teachers Retirement System boosted its holdings in Papa John’s International by 3,496.9% in the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 1,694,913 shares of the company’s stock worth $62,322,000 after buying an additional 1,647,792 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in Papa John’s International in the 2nd quarter worth $13,942,000. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP purchased a new stake in Papa John’s International in the 4th quarter worth $12,969,000.

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.