Stifel Nicolaus Lowers Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) Price Target to $45.00

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) had its price target cut by equities research analysts at Stifel Nicolaus from $55.00 to $45.00 in a research note issued on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “hold” rating on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus’ price objective would indicate a potential downside of 3.43% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other research analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Benchmark cut their price target on shares of Papa John’s International from $87.00 to $75.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 10th. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $75.00 target price on shares of Papa John’s International in a research report on Thursday, May 23rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price target on shares of Papa John’s International from $77.00 to $58.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 10th. BTIG Research cut Papa John’s International from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, March 22nd. Finally, StockNews.com lowered Papa John’s International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 9th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $74.80.

Papa John’s International Price Performance

Papa John’s International stock opened at $46.60 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.11. Papa John’s International has a 1-year low of $46.20 and a 1-year high of $86.38. The company’s 50-day moving average is $52.16 and its 200 day moving average is $64.62.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 9th. The company reported $0.67 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.58 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $513.90 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $544.46 million. Papa John’s International had a negative return on equity of 19.46% and a net margin of 3.50%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.68 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Papa John’s International will post 2.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Papa John’s International

In other news, CEO Ravi Thanawala purchased 1,900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 14th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $52.41 per share, with a total value of $99,579.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 38,920 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,039,797.20. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 8.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Papa John’s International

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Wellington Management Group LLP acquired a new position in Papa John’s International during the 3rd quarter valued at about $102,786,000. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Papa John’s International during the fourth quarter valued at about $29,204,000. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Papa John’s International by 11.3% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,479,644 shares of the company’s stock valued at $237,381,000 after purchasing an additional 353,832 shares during the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. boosted its stake in Papa John’s International by 35.3% in the 4th quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 889,918 shares of the company’s stock worth $67,838,000 after purchasing an additional 232,177 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC grew its position in Papa John’s International by 5,031.5% during the 3rd quarter. Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC now owns 197,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $13,439,000 after purchasing an additional 193,161 shares during the last quarter.

About Papa John’s International

Papa John's International, Inc operates and franchises pizza delivery and carryout restaurants under the Papa John's trademark in the United States and internationally. The company operates through four segments: Domestic Company-Owned Restaurants, North America Commissaries, North America Franchising, and International Operations.