NewEdge Wealth LLC Lowers Holdings in Papa John’s International, Inc. $PZZA

NewEdge Wealth LLC lessened its stake in Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) by 18.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 122,186 shares of the company’s stock after selling 26,800 shares during the quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC owned 0.37% of Papa John’s International worth $4,703,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of PZZA. Lazard Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Papa John’s International in the 2nd quarter worth about $59,000. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in Papa John’s International by 342.9% in the 3rd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,767 shares of the company’s stock worth $85,000 after buying an additional 1,368 shares during the last quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd purchased a new position in Papa John’s International in the 4th quarter worth about $92,000. iSAM Funds UK Ltd purchased a new position in Papa John’s International in the 3rd quarter worth about $121,000. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new position in Papa John’s International in the 3rd quarter worth about $125,000.

Papa John’s International Trading Up 7.2%

Shares of NASDAQ:PZZA opened at $33.38 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $34.57 and a 200 day moving average of $37.82. The company has a market cap of $1.10 billion, a PE ratio of 40.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 1.18. Papa John’s International, Inc. has a 12-month low of $29.55 and a 12-month high of $55.74.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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). The business had revenue of $478.61 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $485.51 million. Papa John’s International had a negative return on equity of 10.71% and a net margin of 1.37%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.36 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that Papa John’s International, Inc. will post 1.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Papa John’s International Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 29th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 18th will be given a dividend of $0.46 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 18th. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.5%. Papa John’s International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 221.69%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Benchmark decreased their target price on Papa John’s International from $50.00 to $45.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $40.00 target price on shares of Papa John’s International in a research report on Friday. UBS Group decreased their target price on Papa John’s International from $42.00 to $33.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Zacks Research raised Papa John’s International from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Papa John’s International in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Papa John’s International presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $38.50.

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.