Stifel Nicolaus Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Papa Johns International (NASDAQ:PZZA) Stock Price

Papa Johns International (NASDAQ:PZZA) had its target price dropped by Stifel Nicolaus from $45.00 to $40.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “hold” rating on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus’ price target suggests a potential downside of 2.49% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other research firms also recently issued reports on PZZA. Wedbush reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $60.00 price objective on shares of Papa Johns International in a report on Friday, February 28th. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $60.00 price target on shares of Papa Johns International in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. UBS Group decreased their price objective on Papa Johns International from $56.00 to $45.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their target price on Papa Johns International from $55.00 to $42.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 15th. Finally, Northcoast Research upgraded Papa Johns International to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, March 3rd. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $55.25.

Papa Johns International Stock Performance

Shares of PZZA opened at $41.02 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $43.52 and a 200 day simple moving average of $46.46. Papa Johns International has a 52-week low of $35.28 and a 52-week high of $68.66. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.34 billion, a PE ratio of 14.29, a P/E/G ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 1.16.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Papa Johns International

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PZZA. Brevan Howard Capital Management LP raised its position in shares of Papa Johns International by 2.5% in the fourth quarter. Brevan Howard Capital Management LP now owns 15,746 shares of the company’s stock valued at $647,000 after purchasing an additional 388 shares during the period. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB raised its holdings in Papa Johns International by 300.0% in the 4th quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 600 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 450 shares during the period. Atlas Brown Inc. raised its holdings in Papa Johns International by 5.5% in the 4th quarter. Atlas Brown Inc. now owns 10,453 shares of the company’s stock valued at $429,000 after acquiring an additional 546 shares during the period. KBC Group NV lifted its position in Papa Johns International by 9.1% during the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 6,639 shares of the company’s stock worth $273,000 after acquiring an additional 551 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Papa Johns International by 3.6% during the fourth quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 18,906 shares of the company’s stock worth $776,000 after acquiring an additional 658 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.