PEAK6 LLC Purchases New Position in Papa John’s International, Inc. $PZZA

PEAK6 LLC acquired a new stake in Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 28,977 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,065,000. PEAK6 LLC owned 0.09% of Papa John’s International at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. purchased a new stake in shares of Papa John’s International in the second quarter worth about $104,000. Heartland Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Papa John’s International during the 2nd quarter valued at about $8,393,000. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in Papa John’s International during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $182,315,000. Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new position in Papa John’s International during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,814,000. Finally, Persistent Asset Partners Ltd purchased a new position in Papa John’s International in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $33,000.

Papa John’s International News Summary

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

• Neutral Sentiment: Investors purchased 24,081 put options on Friday, about 453% above the typical volume of 4,355 contracts. The activity signals heightened expectations for downside risk, although options trading alone does not confirm the direction of the stock.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research lowered its Papa John’s earnings forecasts across multiple periods and maintained a “Strong Sell” rating. Its FY2026 EPS estimate fell to $1.21 from $1.40, FY2027 to $1.00 from $1.55, and FY2028 to $1.54 from $1.74.
• Negative Sentiment: The quarterly revisions were also substantial: Q3 2026 EPS was reduced to $0.14 from $0.28, Q4 2026 to $0.29 from $0.39, Q1 2027 to $0.28 from $0.46, and Q2 2027 to $0.20 from $0.39. Additional cuts lowered Q3 2027 EPS to $0.26 from $0.32 and Q2 2028 to $0.27 from $0.38.
• Negative Sentiment: The estimate reductions place Zacks’ FY2027 forecast at $1.00 per share, below the broader current-year consensus of $1.22, reinforcing concerns about the company’s earnings trajectory.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

PZZA has been the subject of several recent research reports. Mizuho lowered their price objective on shares of Papa John’s International from $33.00 to $32.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 31st. UBS Group reduced their target price on shares of Papa John’s International from $33.00 to $28.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Piper Sandler decreased their target price on shares of Papa John’s International from $30.00 to $26.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Papa John’s International from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, July 26th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded shares of Papa John’s International from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. 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, Papa John’s International presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $32.00.

Papa John’s International Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ PZZA opened at $23.94 on Monday. Papa John’s International, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $22.77 and a fifty-two week high of $55.74. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $31.17 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $32.91. The firm has a market cap of $788.10 million, a PE ratio of 30.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 1.13.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported $0.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 negative return on equity of 10.98% and a net margin of 1.34%.Papa John’s International’s quarterly revenue was down 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.41 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Papa John’s International, Inc. will post 1.22 earnings per share for the current year.

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.