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Winners And Losers Of Q2: Papa John's (NASDAQ:PZZA) Vs The Rest Of The Traditional Fast Food Stocks


Jabin Bastian /
2024/09/04 3:35 am EDT

Earnings results often indicate what direction a company will take in the months ahead. With Q2 behind us, let’s have a look at Papa John's (NASDAQ:PZZA) and its peers.

Traditional fast-food restaurants are renowned for their speed and convenience, boasting menus filled with familiar and budget-friendly items. Their reputations for on-the-go consumption make them favored destinations for individuals and families needing a quick meal. This class of restaurants, however, is fighting the perception that their meals are unhealthy and made with inferior ingredients, a battle that's especially relevant today given the consumers increasing focus on health and wellness.

The 14 traditional fast food stocks we track reported a slower Q2. As a group, revenues were in line with analysts’ consensus estimates.

Stocks, especially growth stocks with cash flows further into the future, had a good end of 2023. On the other hand, this year has seen more volatile stock market swings due to mixed inflation data. However, traditional fast food stocks have held steady amidst all this with share prices up 4.9% on average since the latest earnings results.

Slowest Q2: Papa John's (NASDAQ:PZZA)

Founded by the eclectic John “Papa John” Schnatter, Papa John’s (NASDAQ:PZZA) is a globally recognized pizza delivery and carryout chain known for “better ingredients” and “better pizza”.

Papa John's reported revenues of $507.9 million, down 1.3% year on year. This print fell short of analysts’ expectations by 2.5%. Overall, it was a weaker quarter for the company with some shareholders expecting a better outcome.

Papa John's Total Revenue

Interestingly, the stock is up 12.4% since reporting and currently trades at $47.75.

Read our full report on Papa John's here, it’s free.

Best Q2: El Pollo Loco (NASDAQ:LOCO)

With a name that translates into ‘The Crazy Chicken’, El Pollo Loco (NASDAQ:LOCO) is a fast food chain known for its citrus-marinated, fire-grilled chicken recipe that hails from the coastal town of Sinaloa, Mexico.

El Pollo Loco reported revenues of $122.2 million, flat year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 1.5%. It was a very strong quarter for the company with a decent beat of analysts’ earnings estimates.

El Pollo Loco Total Revenue

The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 13.7% since reporting. It currently trades at $13.49.

Is now the time to buy El Pollo Loco? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX)

Started by three friends in Seattle’s historic Pike Place Market, Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) is a globally-renowned coffeehouse chain that offers a wide selection of high-quality coffee, beverages, and food items.

Starbucks reported revenues of $9.11 billion, flat year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 1.5%. It was a weaker quarter for the company with a miss of analysts’ revenue estimates.

Interestingly, the stock is up 22.8% since the results and currently trades at $93.22.

Read our full analysis of Starbucks’s results here.

Jack in the Box (NASDAQ:JACK)

Delighting customers since its inception in 1951, Jack in the Box (NASDAQ:JACK) is a distinctive fast-food chain known for its bold flavors, innovative menu items, and quirky marketing.

Jack in the Box reported revenues of $369.2 million, down 7% year on year, in line with analysts’ expectations. Zooming out, it was a decent quarter for the company with EPS exceeding analysts' estimates.

Jack in the Box had the slowest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is down 11.7% since reporting and currently trades at $47.14.

Read our full, actionable report on Jack in the Box here, it’s free.

Domino's (NYSE:DPZ)

Founded by two brothers in Michigan, Domino’s (NYSE:DPZ) is a globally recognized pizza chain known for its creative marketing and fast delivery.

Domino's reported revenues of $1.10 billion, up 7.1% year on year, in line with analysts’ expectations. Overall, it was a mixed quarter for the company with a decent beat of analysts’ earnings estimates.

The stock is down 14.7% since reporting and currently trades at $403.50.

Read our full, actionable report on Domino's here, it’s free.

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