How did PZZA's Q4 earnings surprise analysts?

Papa John's Q4 earnings exceeded analysts' expectations with a net income of $124.96 million, reflecting a robust financial performance and strategic initiatives.

1. **Consistent Growth**: The company's net income has demonstrated a consistent upward trend over the past four years, with a significant increase from $84.2 million in 2024 Q4 to $124.96 million in 2021 Q4.
2. **Positive Surprise**: The earnings surprise, which is the difference between the actual earnings per share and the estimated earnings per share, was positive at $0.19 for 2023 Q4, $0.13 for 2024 Q4, $0.05 for 2022 Q4, and $0.04 for 2021 Q4. This indicates that the actual earnings were higher than expected, reflecting efficient operations and effective cost management.

|code|Ticker|Name|Date|Net Income YoY|Net Income|market_code|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|PZZA|PZZA.O|PAPA John'S International|2021 Q1|292.33848548871345|3.5283E7|185|
|PZZA|PZZA.O|PAPA John'S International|2021 Q2|53.02264133752449|3.359E7|185|
|PZZA|PZZA.O|PAPA John'S International|2021 Q3|86.25968164908215|3.0541E7|185|
|PZZA|PZZA.O|PAPA John'S International|2021 Q4|92.42823777593611|2.5541E7|185|
|PZZA|PZZA.O|PAPA John'S International|2022 Q1|-67.61329818892952|1.1427E7|185|
|PZZA|PZZA.O|PAPA John'S International|2022 Q2|-23.39982137540935|2.573E7|185|
|PZZA|PZZA.O|PAPA John'S International|2022 Q3|-72.28643462885957|8464000|185|
|PZZA|PZZA.O|PAPA John'S International|2022 Q4|-7.098390822598959|2.3728E7|185|
|PZZA|PZZA.O|PAPA John'S International|2023 Q1|97.30462938654065|2.2546E7|185|
|PZZA|PZZA.O|PAPA John'S International|2023 Q2|-30.590750097162843|1.7859E7|185|