Papa Johns International (NASDAQ:PZZA) Shares Gap Up on Earnings Beat

Papa Johns International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) gapped up before the market opened on Thursday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The stock had previously closed at $46.24, but opened at $48.74. Papa Johns International shares last traded at $46.41, with a volume of 146,050 shares traded.

The company reported $0.63 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.52 by $0.11. Papa Johns International had a negative return on equity of 19.61% and a net margin of 4.51%.

Papa Johns International Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 21st. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th were paid a dividend of $0.46 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.94%. Papa Johns International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 64.11%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have issued reports on PZZA. UBS Group cut their price target on Papa Johns International from $56.00 to $45.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Loop Capital cut their target price on Papa Johns International from $73.00 to $60.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. Wedbush restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $60.00 target price on shares of Papa Johns International in a research note on Wednesday, January 15th. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $60.00 target price on shares of Papa Johns International in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group cut their target price on Papa Johns International from $55.00 to $42.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 15th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $55.67.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Papa Johns International

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB raised its holdings in Papa Johns International by 300.0% during the 4th quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 600 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 450 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC raised its holdings in Papa Johns International by 66.9% during the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 646 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 259 shares during the period. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC bought a new stake in Papa Johns International during the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. US Bancorp DE raised its holdings in Papa Johns International by 225.4% during the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 1,331 shares of the company’s stock valued at $72,000 after acquiring an additional 922 shares during the period. Finally, Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its holdings in Papa Johns International by 111.9% during the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 1,358 shares of the company’s stock valued at $56,000 after acquiring an additional 717 shares during the period.

Papa Johns International Trading Up 1.0 %

The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $41.26 and its 200-day simple moving average is $46.76. The firm has a market cap of $1.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.27, a PEG ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 1.19.

About Papa Johns International

Papa John’s International, Inc engages in the operation and franchise of pizza delivery and carryout restaurants. It operates through the following segments: Domestic Company-owned Restaurants, North America Franchising, North America Commissaries, International Operations, and All Others. The Domestic Company-Owned Restaurants segment consists of retail sales of pizza and side items, breadsticks, cheese sticks, chicken poppers and wings, dessert items, and canned and bottled beverages.