Sei Investments Co. Cuts Stock Position in Papa John’s International, Inc. $PZZA

Sei Investments Co. cut its holdings in shares of Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) by 5.1% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 1,079,272 shares of the company’s stock after selling 57,496 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co.’s holdings in Papa John’s International were worth $34,979,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Private Advisor Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Papa John’s International by 6.5% in the third quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 5,220 shares of the company’s stock worth $251,000 after acquiring an additional 319 shares during the period. State of Alaska Department of Revenue raised its stake in Papa John’s International by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 18,642 shares of the company’s stock valued at $716,000 after purchasing an additional 328 shares during the period. Alliancebernstein L.P. lifted its holdings in Papa John’s International by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 42,662 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,054,000 after purchasing an additional 354 shares in the last quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC lifted its holdings in Papa John’s International by 6.3% in the 4th quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 6,176 shares of the company’s stock worth $238,000 after purchasing an additional 367 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Intech Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in Papa John’s International by 3.6% in the 4th quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 11,467 shares of the company’s stock worth $441,000 after purchasing an additional 397 shares in the last quarter.

Papa John’s International Price Performance

NASDAQ PZZA opened at $30.37 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $999.17 million, a PE ratio of 36.59, a P/E/G ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 1.12. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $33.66 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $34.38. Papa John’s International, Inc. has a 1-year low of $29.55 and a 1-year high of $55.74.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $0.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.40 by ($0.08). The firm had revenue of $478.61 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $485.51 million. Papa John’s International had a negative return on equity of 10.71% and a net margin of 1.37%.The firm’s revenue was down 7.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.36 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that Papa John’s International, Inc. will post 1.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Papa John’s International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 29th. Investors of record on Monday, May 18th were given a $0.46 dividend. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.1%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 18th. Papa John’s International’s payout ratio is currently 221.69%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have issued reports on PZZA. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Papa John’s International in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. Benchmark lowered their target price on shares of Papa John’s International from $50.00 to $45.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 8th. Piper Sandler dropped their target price on shares of Papa John’s International from $32.00 to $30.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Mizuho cut their target price on shares of Papa John’s International from $34.00 to $33.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Papa John’s International from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Papa John’s International currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $36.50.

Papa John’s International 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.