Benchmark Cuts Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) Price Target to $50.00

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) had its price objective cut by Benchmark from $60.00 to $50.00 in a note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “buy” rating on the stock. Benchmark’s target price would indicate a potential upside of 63.12% from the stock’s previous close.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the company. Stephens reduced their price objective on Papa John’s International from $49.00 to $40.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. Mizuho cut their target price on Papa John’s International from $40.00 to $34.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Zacks Research raised shares of Papa John’s International from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Papa John’s International in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $42.00 target price on shares of Papa John’s International in a report on Monday, November 10th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $46.67.

Papa John’s International Price Performance

PZZA stock traded down $0.26 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $30.65. The company had a trading volume of 1,174,878 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,155,467. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $36.19 and a 200-day moving average price of $42.50. The company has a market capitalization of $1.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.41, a P/E/G ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 1.20. Papa John’s International has a 1 year low of $30.16 and a 1 year high of $55.74.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.33 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $498.18 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $517.25 million. Papa John’s International had a net margin of 1.79% and a negative return on equity of 13.54%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.63 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Papa John’s International will post 2.19 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of Papa John’s International by 3.3% during the third quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 6,507 shares of the company’s stock valued at $290,000 after acquiring an additional 206 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its position in Papa John’s International by 22.2% during the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,157 shares of the company’s stock valued at $56,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares during the period. Financial Advocates Investment Management raised its holdings in Papa John’s International by 3.1% in the 2nd quarter. Financial Advocates Investment Management now owns 7,623 shares of the company’s stock worth $373,000 after purchasing an additional 226 shares in the last quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Papa John’s International by 0.4% in the 2nd quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC now owns 74,589 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,650,000 after purchasing an additional 271 shares during the period. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Papa John’s International by 6.2% during the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 5,176 shares of the company’s stock valued at $249,000 after purchasing an additional 304 shares in the last quarter.

Key Stories Impacting Papa John’s International

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

• Positive Sentiment: Papa John’s is targeting $60M in supply‑chain savings and accelerating a transformation that management says will improve margins over time; this cost program supports longer‑term profitability. Papa John’s targets $60M in supply chain savings and 200 North America closures as transformation accelerates
• Positive Sentiment: International growth and cash‑flow trends look constructive: management added 101 international stores in Q4 and reported nearly doubled free cash flow in 2025, which supports EPS recovery in 2026 under management guidance. Papa John’s: Setting Up For A Swing Trade
• Positive Sentiment: Stephens left an Overweight rating on PZZA despite cutting its target to $40, implying meaningful upside from current levels and signaling some analyst conviction in the turnaround story. Stephens lowers price target to $40 but keeps overweight
• Positive Sentiment: Value investors may view PZZA as attractive per Zacks’ style scores, which highlights the stock’s valuation traits for long‑term buyers. Why Papa John’s (PZZA) is a Top Value Stock for the Long-Term
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 results were mixed: EPS beat by a penny ($0.34 vs. $0.33) but revenue missed estimates and fell year‑over‑year, leaving investors to weigh the small beat against weakening top‑line trends. Papa John’s (PZZA) Q4 Earnings Top Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Management announced large‑scale closures (reports cite ~200–300 North American and hundreds of underperforming U.S. shops), which should reduce costs long‑term but will depress near‑term revenue and investor sentiment. Papa John’s to close 300 underperforming locations. What to know
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts have trimmed targets amid the challenging consumer backdrop (Mizuho and others reduced targets/ratings), increasing short‑term downside risk if comps don’t stabilize. Mizuho Cuts Papa John’s (PZZA) Target
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage and headlines emphasize soft North American demand and promotional pressure, which drove the share selloff after the print. Papa John’s slides after soft results in North America amid a tough consumer backdrop

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.