Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) Announces Earnings Results, Misses Expectations By $0.08 EPS

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) released its earnings results on Thursday. The company reported $0.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.40 by ($0.08), Zacks reports. Papa John’s International had a negative return on equity of 14.42% and a net margin of 3.58%.The company had revenue of $508.15 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $523.67 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.43 earnings per share. Papa John’s International’s revenue was up .3% on a year-over-year basis.

Papa John’s International Stock Down 4.1%

Shares of Papa John’s International stock traded down $1.74 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $41.08. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,404,231 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,394,991. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.18, a PEG ratio of 4.46 and a beta of 1.10. Papa John’s International has a 1-year low of $30.16 and a 1-year high of $56.23. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $48.22 and a 200-day simple moving average of $45.53.

Papa John’s International Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 28th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 17th will be given a dividend of $0.46 per share. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.5%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 17th. Papa John’s International’s payout ratio is presently 81.42%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently commented on PZZA. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Papa John’s International in a research report on Wednesday. Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $60.00 price target (up previously from $50.00) on shares of Papa John’s International in a research report on Monday, August 11th. Mizuho raised Papa John’s International to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 28th. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and set a $42.00 price objective (up from $38.00) on shares of Papa John’s International in a research note on Monday, August 4th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on shares of Papa John’s International from $40.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, August 11th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $50.50.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Papa John’s International

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Lazard Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Papa John’s International in the second quarter worth $59,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board lifted its holdings in shares of Papa John’s International by 26.1% during the 2nd quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 2,900 shares of the company’s stock worth $142,000 after acquiring an additional 600 shares during the period. Corient Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in Papa John’s International during the second quarter worth about $235,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its position in shares of Papa John’s International by 14.1% during the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 4,840 shares of the company’s stock worth $237,000 after buying an additional 598 shares during the period. Finally, Bayesian Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of Papa John’s International in the 2nd quarter valued at $347,000.

Papa John’s International Company Profile

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.