Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) Short Interest Down 13.5% in January

Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) was the target of a significant decrease in short interest during the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 3,319,266 shares, a decrease of 13.5% from the December 31st total of 3,838,109 shares. Approximately 10.3% of the company’s shares are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 884,819 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.8 days. Based on an average daily volume of 884,819 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.8 days. Approximately 10.3% of the company’s shares are short sold.

Papa John’s International Trading Down 0.5%

Shares of Papa John’s International stock traded down $0.17 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $33.72. 189,393 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 962,594. The stock has a market cap of $1.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.18, a P/E/G ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a 50 day moving average of $39.22 and a two-hundred day moving average of $43.74. Papa John’s International has a fifty-two week low of $30.16 and a fifty-two week high of $55.74.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported $0.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.40 by ($0.08). The company had revenue of $508.15 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $523.67 million. Papa John’s International had a negative return on equity of 13.54% and a net margin of 1.79%.The business’s revenue was up .3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.43 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Papa John’s International will post 2.19 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Papa John’s International Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 20th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 9th will be given a dividend of $0.46 per share. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 9th. Papa John’s International’s dividend payout ratio is 164.29%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Papa John’s International in a research report on Monday, December 29th. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $42.00 target price on shares of Papa John’s International in a report on Monday, November 10th. Stephens decreased their target price on Papa John’s International from $50.00 to $49.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Zacks Research raised Papa John’s International from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Finally, Bank of America reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $50.00 price objective (down from $62.00) on shares of Papa John’s International in a research report on Monday, October 6th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Papa John’s International presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $49.44.

Institutional Trading of Papa John’s International

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of PZZA. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Papa John’s International by 181.8% during the 2nd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 947 shares of the company’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 611 shares during the last quarter. Huntington National Bank grew its stake in shares of Papa John’s International by 7,600.0% in the second quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 1,001 shares of the company’s stock valued at $49,000 after acquiring an additional 988 shares in the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Papa John’s International during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $59,000. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in shares of Papa John’s International by 41.0% in the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,702 shares of the company’s stock worth $82,000 after purchasing an additional 495 shares during the period. Finally, Nisa Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Papa John’s International by 342.9% during the 3rd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,767 shares of the company’s stock worth $85,000 after acquiring an additional 1,368 shares in the last quarter.

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.