Papa John's (PZZA Quick QuotePZZA - Free Report) reported $454.84 million in revenue for the quarter ended September 2026, representing a year-over-year decline of 10.5%. EPS of $0.16 for the same period compares to $0.32 a year ago.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $457.18 million, representing a surprise of -0.51%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +60%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $0.10.

While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.

Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.

Here is how Papa John's performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

• Number of Restaurants - International Franchised: 2,551 compared to the 2,526 average estimate based on three analysts.
• Number of Restaurants - Franchised North America: 2,986 versus the three-analyst average estimate of 2,950.
• Number of Restaurants - Papa John's - Company-owned - Domestic: 419 versus the three-analyst average estimate of 438.
• Number of Restaurants - Total Franchised(Franchised North America+International Franchised): 5,537 versus 5,632 estimated by three analysts on average.
• Comparable sales growth - International restaurants: -1.8% versus the three-analyst average estimate of 0.5%.
• Number of Restaurants - Total North America: 3,405 versus 3,394 estimated by two analysts on average.
• Number of Restaurants - International: 2,564 versus 2,536 estimated by two analysts on average.
• Revenues- Franchise royalties and fees: $43.11 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $44.82 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -8.4%.
• Revenues- Advertising funds revenue: $36.65 million compared to the $39.57 million average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of -12.1% year over year.
• Revenues- Other revenues: $21.32 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $20.6 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -0.5%.
• Revenues- Commissary revenues: $222.48 million compared to the $220.05 million average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of -3.1% year over year.
• Revenues- Company-owned restaurant sales: $131.28 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $133.43 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -22.1%.

View all Key Company Metrics for Papa John's here>>>

Shares of Papa John's have returned +3.3% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -0.4% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell), indicating that it could underperform the broader market in the near term.