Dean Capital Management Sells 21,897 Shares of Papa John’s International, Inc. $PZZA

Dean Capital Management lowered its holdings in Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) by 39.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 33,874 shares of the company’s stock after selling 21,897 shares during the quarter. Dean Capital Management owned 0.10% of Papa John’s International worth $1,631,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Papa John’s International by 22.2% in the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,157 shares of the company’s stock worth $56,000 after buying an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Papa John’s International during the 2nd quarter valued at about $59,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Papa John’s International by 41.0% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,702 shares of the company’s stock valued at $82,000 after acquiring an additional 495 shares during the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Papa John’s International by 342.9% in the third 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 during the period. Finally, iSAM Funds UK Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Papa John’s International during the third quarter valued at approximately $121,000.

Trending Headlines about Papa John’s International

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

• Positive Sentiment: Reports that Qatari‑backed Irth Capital (and other suitors) have submitted a roughly $1.5 billion take‑private proposal (~$47/share) are driving upside because the offer represents a material premium to recent trading and creates buyout speculation. Papa John’s Weighs Takeover Offer As Valuation And Risks Stay In Focus
• Positive Sentiment: Market headlines showing a sharp intraday jump (reports of a 15–19% surge) reinforce momentum and short‑term buying tied to the takeover narrative. Papa John’s (PZZA) Stock Jumps 19% Following $1.5B Buyout Proposal
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO comments indicate management remains focused on competing and running the business rather than treating the bid as a certainty — that could slow a quick transaction and keeps operational execution in focus. Papa John’s CEO Focuses on Competing, Not Take-Private Bid
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/industry pieces highlight Papa John’s ongoing digital and loyalty investments — a longer‑term positive for sales and margins but unlikely to move the stock as much as takeover speculation in the near term. Can Papa John’s Digital Investments & Loyalty Expansion Drive Growth?
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research issued mixed estimate changes: they trimmed Q1 and Q3 2026 EPS forecasts (and left a Hold rating) even as they raised a Q2 2027 forecast—these downward near‑term revisions highlight margin and revenue risk and temper the fundamentals under the takeover chatter.

Papa John’s International Trading Up 1.9%

PZZA opened at $36.79 on Monday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $34.82 and its 200 day moving average is $41.40. The company has a market cap of $1.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.34, a PEG ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 1.23. Papa John’s International, Inc. has a 12-month low of $29.55 and a 12-month high of $55.74.

Papa John’s International (NASDAQ:PZZA) last announced 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 net margin of 1.44% and a negative return on equity of 11.16%. The business had revenue of $498.18 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $517.25 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.63 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts predict that Papa John’s International, Inc. will post 2.19 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Papa John’s International Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 9th were paid a $0.46 dividend. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.0%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 9th. Papa John’s International’s dividend payout ratio is 206.74%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on PZZA shares. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Papa John’s International from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Stephens cut their target price on shares of Papa John’s International from $49.00 to $40.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Mizuho decreased their target price on shares of Papa John’s International from $40.00 to $34.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Benchmark lowered their price target on Papa John’s International from $60.00 to $50.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 27th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Papa John’s International in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $45.00.

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.