Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) Sets New 1-Year Low – Should You Sell?

Posted by George Bondi on Oct 7th, 2026

Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA – Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Monday. The stock traded as low as $19.27 and last traded at $19.2360, with a volume of 70061 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $19.43.

Papa John’s International News Summary

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

Neutral Sentiment: Multiple firms, including Rosen, Pomerantz, Faruqi & Faruqi, and Bernstein Liebhard, reminded investors that November 2, 2026 is the deadline to seek appointment as lead plaintiff. The announcements are procedural and do not establish that Papa John’s committed wrongdoing. Rosen securities class action deadline announcement
Negative Sentiment: The lawsuit-related claims allege Papa John’s misled investors about the strength of its North American turnaround and comparable-sales outlook. According to the allegations, management projected a 2026 comparable-sales decline of 2% to 4%, but later reported an 8.3% decline, suspended its dividend, and reduced its outlook to a decline of as much as 8%. The company’s shares reportedly lost $5.11 in one session after those developments, increasing litigation, reputational, and potential financial risks. Papa John’s shareholder alert
Negative Sentiment: The concentration of nearly identical investor-alert releases keeps the alleged disclosure issues in focus and may weigh on sentiment. Investors are likely watching for potential legal costs, settlement exposure, and further evidence that weak sales trends could undermine Papa John’s turnaround strategy. Pomerantz Papa John’s investor alert

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

PZZA has been the subject of a number of research reports. Zacks Research cut Papa John’s International from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Mizuho cut their price objective on Papa John’s International from $33.00 to $32.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 31st. Bank of America restated an “underperform” rating and issued a $34.00 price objective (down from $42.00) on shares of Papa John’s International in a research note on Monday, July 13th. 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 report on Friday, August 7th. Finally, Piper Sandler dropped their target price on Papa John’s International from $30.00 to $26.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $32.00.

Get Our Latest Stock Report on PZZA

Papa John’s International Price Performance

The stock has a market cap of $644.57 million, a PE ratio of 24.79, a PEG ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 1.13. The company’s fifty day moving average is $23.06 and its 200-day moving average is $30.21.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported $0.46 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.45 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $482.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $481.25 million. Papa John’s International had a net margin of 1.34% and a negative return on equity of 10.98%. The firm’s revenue was down 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.41 earnings per share. Analysts expect that Papa John’s International, Inc. will post 1.16 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Papa John’s International

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of PZZA. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Papa John’s International during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $182,315,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in shares of Papa John’s International in the 2nd quarter valued at $83,186,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in Papa John’s International during the second quarter worth $13,942,000. Alberta Investment Management Corp purchased a new stake in Papa John’s International during the second quarter worth $10,138,000. Finally, Heartland Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Papa John’s International during the second quarter valued at $8,393,000.

About Papa John’s International

(Get Free Report)

Papa John’s International, Inc is a restaurant company that operates and franchises Papa Johns pizza restaurants. Its menu includes pizzas made with various crusts, toppings and specialty recipes, along with sides, desserts and beverages. Customers can order through delivery, carryout and digital ordering channels.

Founded in 1984 by John Schnatter in Jeffersonville, Indiana, the company has grown into an international quick-service restaurant brand. Papa Johns serves customers across the United States and in international markets through a combination of company-operated restaurants and franchised locations.