Zacks Research Issues Pessimistic Estimate for PZZA Earnings

Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) – Zacks Research lowered their Q1 2026 earnings per share estimates for Papa John’s International in a research note issued on Thursday, March 12th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the company will earn $0.44 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $0.49. Zacks Research has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Papa John’s International’s current full-year earnings is $2.19 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Papa John’s International’s Q3 2026 earnings at $0.35 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $0.53 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $2.11 EPS.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.33 by $0.01. Papa John’s International had a negative return on equity of 11.16% and a net margin of 1.44%.The company had revenue of $498.18 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $517.25 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.63 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 6.1% on a year-over-year basis.

PZZA has been the topic of several other reports. Mizuho reduced their price objective on shares of Papa John’s International from $40.00 to $34.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 20th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Papa John’s International in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Benchmark reduced their price target on shares of Papa John’s International from $60.00 to $50.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 27th. Finally, Stephens decreased their price objective on shares of Papa John’s International from $49.00 to $40.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 27th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $45.00.

Papa John’s International Trading Down 7.1%

NASDAQ PZZA opened at $36.12 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $34.89 and a 200-day simple moving average of $41.58. The stock has a market cap of $1.19 billion, a PE ratio of 40.58, a P/E/G ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 1.23. Papa John’s International has a twelve month low of $29.55 and a twelve month high of $55.74.

Institutional Trading of Papa John’s International

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of PZZA. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Papa John’s International by 22.2% during the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,157 shares of the company’s stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Papa John’s International in the second quarter valued at approximately $59,000. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings 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 valued at $82,000 after purchasing an additional 495 shares in the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in 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 buying an additional 1,368 shares during the period. Finally, Leonteq Securities AG purchased a new stake in Papa John’s International during the 4th quarter worth approximately $71,000.

Papa John’s International Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Investors of record on Monday, February 9th were issued a dividend of $0.46 per share. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.1%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 9th. Papa John’s International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 206.74%.

Key Papa John’s International News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Reports that Irth Capital offered roughly $47 per share in a $1.5 billion take‑private proposal, which pushed markets to reprice PZZA toward the bid premium. This is the primary bullish catalyst driving recent volume and price swings. Reuters: Papa John’s reviews fresh $1.5 billion take‑private bid
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple outlets (Yahoo, Fox Business, MarketWatch) echoed the takeover story and reported the size of the premium, amplifying market interest and trading volume. This broad coverage helped drive the initial rally. Yahoo Finance: Papa John’s weighs Irth Capital’s $1.5bn take‑private bid
• Neutral Sentiment: Papa John’s presented at the UBS Global Consumer & Retail Conference; investor Q&A and management remarks may offer incremental clarity on strategy but did not provide a definitive deal update. Seeking Alpha: UBS conference transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Trading was briefly halted under an exchange LULD pause during the eventful trading day, reflecting heightened volatility around the takeover news (pause is procedural, not a substantive company action).
• Negative Sentiment: Operational/earnings backdrop remains mixed: recent quarterly results showed a modest beat on EPS but a revenue miss and year‑over‑year revenue decline, thin net margins and a negative ROE — factors that limit the company’s standalone valuation and leave uncertainty about long‑term growth if a deal doesn’t close. MarketBeat: recent earnings and metrics
• Negative Sentiment: After the initial takeover headlines, profit‑taking, uncertainty about whether a firm bid will be finalized, and potential regulatory/approval risks are weighing on the stock — investors are pricing in deal risk and the possibility the premium may not materialize.

About Papa John’s International

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.