Papa Johns International (NASDAQ:PZZA) Sees Strong Trading Volume – What’s Next?

Papa Johns International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) saw unusually-strong trading volume on Thursday . Approximately 4,071,310 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 145% from the previous session’s volume of 1,660,423 shares.The stock last traded at $52.18 and had previously closed at $43.31.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on PZZA. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price target on shares of Papa Johns International from $55.00 to $42.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 15th. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $62.00 target price on shares of Papa Johns International in a research report on Monday, January 13th. Wedbush reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $60.00 price target on shares of Papa Johns International in a report on Wednesday, January 15th. KeyCorp downgraded Papa Johns International from an “overweight” rating to a “sector weight” rating in a report on Thursday, November 14th. Finally, UBS Group cut their price objective on shares of Papa Johns International from $56.00 to $45.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $55.83.

Papa Johns International Stock Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $1.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.19. The business’s 50 day moving average is $40.66 and its 200-day moving average is $46.35.

Papa Johns International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 21st. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be paid a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 10th. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.59%. Papa Johns International’s payout ratio is presently 64.11%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Papa Johns International

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB lifted its stake in shares of Papa Johns International by 300.0% in the fourth quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 600 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 450 shares during the period. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Papa Johns International in the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Signaturefd LLC grew its holdings in shares of Papa Johns International by 66.9% during the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 646 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 259 shares in the last quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Papa Johns International during the third quarter valued at approximately $42,000. Finally, Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its position in shares of Papa Johns International by 111.9% during the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 1,358 shares of the company’s stock valued at $56,000 after purchasing an additional 717 shares during the period.

About Papa Johns International

Papa John’s International, Inc engages in the operation and franchise of pizza delivery and carryout restaurants. It operates through the following segments: Domestic Company-owned Restaurants, North America Franchising, North America Commissaries, International Operations, and All Others. The Domestic Company-Owned Restaurants segment consists of retail sales of pizza and side items, breadsticks, cheese sticks, chicken poppers and wings, dessert items, and canned and bottled beverages.