Nathan's Famous (NATH) vs Papa John's International (PZZA)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 7, 2026.
Summary
Nathan's Famous (NATH) has outperformed Papa John's International (PZZA) over the past year, losing 5.8% versus a loss of 56.5%. Over five years, NATH leads with a +63.8% price change compared with -84.2% for PZZA. Papa John's International is the larger company by market cap ($637.4 million vs $416.8 million), about 1.5 times the size.
On valuation, Nathan's Famous trades at a lower trailing P/E (21.1x vs 24.2x for Papa John's International). Papa John's International offers the higher dividend yield (9.50% vs 1.97%).
Summary generated from market data by MetaCap's automated system. Methodology
Relative performance
Percent change in share price from the first common trading day shown; excludes dividends.
Head-to-head
| Metric | NATH | PZZA |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $101.72 | $19.36 |
| Market cap | $416.81M | $637.36M |
| 1-day change | -0.12% | -1.12% |
| YTD return | +8.71% | -49.70% |
| 1-year return | -5.81% | -56.53% |
| 5-year return | +63.77% | -84.18% |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 21.06 | 24.20 |
| Forward P/E | — | 14.54 |
| EPS (TTM) | $4.83 | $0.80 |
| Dividend yield | 1.97% | 9.50% |
| Annual dividend | $2.00 | $1.84 |
| 52-week high | $111.39 | $55.74 |
| 52-week low | $88.67 | $18.92 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -8.68% | -65.27% |
| Average volume | 27.55K | 1.42M |
| Shares outstanding | 4.10M | 32.92M |
| Sector | Consumer Discretionary | Consumer Discretionary |
| Industry | Restaurants | Restaurants |
Highlighted cells mark the higher value for growth, returns, margins and yield, and the lower value for P/E ratios. Highlighting is a mechanical comparison, not a recommendation.
Key differences
- NATH has outperformed PZZA by 50.7 percentage points over the past year.
- Papa John's International offers a meaningfully higher dividend yield (9.50% vs 1.97%).
NATH vs PZZA FAQ
Which is bigger, Nathan's Famous or Papa John's International?
Papa John's International (PZZA) is larger, with a market capitalization of $637.36M compared with $416.81M for Nathan's Famous (NATH).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, NATH or PZZA?
NATH returned -5.81% over the past 12 months, compared with -56.53% for PZZA (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Which has the lower P/E ratio, NATH or PZZA?
NATH has the lower trailing P/E at 21.1, versus 24.2 for PZZA. A lower P/E is not by itself a sign of a better investment; it can reflect slower expected growth or higher risk.
Which pays a higher dividend, Nathan's Famous or Papa John's International?
Papa John's International has the higher yield at 9.50%, compared with 1.97% for Nathan's Famous.
Are Nathan's Famous and Papa John's International in the same industry?
Yes. Both are classified in the Restaurants industry within the Consumer Discretionary sector.