Stephens analyst Will Slabaugh remarked on The Wall Street Journal report that Trian recently contacted Papa John's (PZZA) to collect info as it explores a possible bid and noted that Trian holds a 13% stake in Wendy's (WEN). However, he is "not convinced that the dots should be connected" between Papa John's and Wendy's, pointing toward the latter's transition to a more capital-light model. With that said, he maintains his belief that the long-term earnings power of Papa John's current store base as well as its white space opportunity is being undervalued. Slabaugh maintains an Overweight rating and $55 price target on Papa John's shares.

Stifel analyst Chris O'Cull upgraded Papa John's to Hold from Sell with a price target of $60, down from $65. The analyst believes near-term expectations are reasonable. Given the stock's negative sentiment and recent market volatility, the firm decided to move to the sidelines. However, Stifel continues to believe Papa John's is in a "challenging competitive position in a tough category."