PEAK6 LLC Takes Position in Papa John’s International, Inc. $PZZA

PEAK6 LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor purchased 28,977 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,065,000.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Persistent Asset Partners Ltd acquired a new position in Papa John’s International in the second quarter worth $33,000. Lazard Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Papa John’s International during the second quarter worth $59,000. Skylands Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Papa John’s International during the first quarter worth $65,000. Leonteq Securities AG bought a new position in shares of Papa John’s International in the 4th quarter worth about $71,000. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Papa John’s International by 42.9% in the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 2,230 shares of the company’s stock worth $72,000 after buying an additional 670 shares during the last quarter.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on PZZA. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Papa John’s International from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Papa John’s International from a “sell (d)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Friday. UBS Group decreased their target price on Papa John’s International from $33.00 to $28.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Benchmark lowered Papa John’s International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. Finally, Bank of America reiterated an “underperform” rating and set a $34.00 price target (down from $42.00) on shares of Papa John’s International in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $32.00.

More Papa John’s International News

Here are the key news stories impacting Papa John’s International this week:

• Neutral Sentiment: Investors purchased 24,081 put options on Friday, about 453% above the typical volume of 4,355 contracts. The activity signals heightened expectations for downside risk, although options trading alone does not confirm the direction of the stock.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research lowered its Papa John’s earnings forecasts across multiple periods and maintained a “Strong Sell” rating. Its FY2026 EPS estimate fell to $1.21 from $1.40, FY2027 to $1.00 from $1.55, and FY2028 to $1.54 from $1.74.
• Negative Sentiment: The quarterly revisions were also substantial: Q3 2026 EPS was reduced to $0.14 from $0.28, Q4 2026 to $0.29 from $0.39, Q1 2027 to $0.28 from $0.46, and Q2 2027 to $0.20 from $0.39. Additional cuts lowered Q3 2027 EPS to $0.26 from $0.32 and Q2 2028 to $0.27 from $0.38.
• Negative Sentiment: The estimate reductions place Zacks’ FY2027 forecast at $1.00 per share, below the broader current-year consensus of $1.22, reinforcing concerns about the company’s earnings trajectory.

Papa John’s International Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:PZZA opened at $23.94 on Monday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $31.17 and its 200 day moving average price is $32.91. The company has a market cap of $788.10 million, a PE ratio of 30.30, a P/E/G ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 1.13. Papa John’s International, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $22.77 and a fifty-two week high of $55.74.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) last posted its earnings results 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 net margin of 1.34% and a negative return on equity of 10.98%. The firm had revenue of $482.40 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $481.25 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.41 EPS. Papa John’s International’s quarterly revenue was down 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Papa John’s International, Inc. will post 1.22 EPS for the current year.

Papa John’s International 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.