Brokerages Set Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) Price Target at $50.50

Shares of Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) have earned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the thirteen analysts that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, eight have issued a hold recommendation and four have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $50.50.

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on PZZA shares. Stephens cut their target price on shares of Papa John’s International from $50.00 to $49.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Papa John’s International from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Bank of America reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $50.00 price objective (down previously from $62.00) on shares of Papa John’s International in a research report on Monday, October 6th. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $42.00 target price on shares of Papa John’s International in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Finally, Mizuho raised Papa John’s International to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 28th.

Papa John’s International Trading Up 4.7%

Shares of Papa John’s International stock opened at $40.30 on Monday. Papa John’s International has a 1 year low of $30.16 and a 1 year high of $55.74. The company has a market cap of $1.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.98, a P/E/G ratio of 3.33 and a beta of 1.16. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $42.11 and a 200 day moving average price of $45.34.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.40 by ($0.08). The business had revenue of $508.15 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $523.67 million. Papa John’s International had a net margin of 1.79% and a negative return on equity of 13.54%. Papa John’s International’s revenue for the quarter was up .3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.43 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Papa John’s International will post 2.19 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Papa John’s International Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 28th. Investors of record on Monday, November 17th were issued a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 17th. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.6%. Papa John’s International’s dividend payout ratio is currently 164.29%.

Institutional Trading of Papa John’s International

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PZZA. CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. bought a new position in shares of Papa John’s International during the 3rd quarter valued at $206,000. Advisory Services Network LLC bought a new stake in Papa John’s International in the third quarter worth $127,000. Copley Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in Papa John’s International during the third quarter worth $403,000. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co raised its holdings in Papa John’s International by 3.8% during the third quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 30,287 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,452,000 after buying an additional 1,107 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLC bought a new position in Papa John’s International during the third quarter valued at about $218,000.

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.