PZZA vs SBUX Stock Comparison
SBUX currently leads PZZA in this stock comparison, with AIQ scores of 48 vs 46. The clearest difference is momentum, while PZZA has the stronger value profile.
What is the main difference between PZZA and SBUX?
SBUX leads the current stock comparison as Starbucks Corporation, with the clearest separation coming from momentum and the broader AIQ evidence mix.
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
Papa John's International, Inc. vs Starbucks Corporation
SBUX leads
SBUX leads by 2 AIQ points, primarily on Momentum and Quality, having only recently taken the lead back from PZZA. Wall Street currently favors PZZA on target upside.
Fragile: 2 of 6 evidence groups support SBUX, the lead recently changed hands, and its current signal state is conflicted.
Papa John's International, Inc.
Starbucks Corporation
The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors SBUX over PZZA, 48 versus 46 as of Oct 31, 2026. SBUX's advantage is driven primarily by stronger momentum and quality, while PZZA holds the stronger value profile. SBUX also shows the stronger technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average, though analyst target upside currently favors PZZA. 2 of 6 covered evidence groups favor SBUX today, and the comparison is rated Fragile on stability: the AIQ gap is narrow at 2 points. SBUX lead: Reversed — PZZA led by 9 AIQ points 30 sessions ago; SBUX now leads by 2.
Compare Papa John's International, Inc. and Starbucks Corporation across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.
Performance over time
Total return with distributions reinvested, from daily closes.
Total return comparison
Growth of $10,000, distributions reinvested
Split-adjusted closes; each distribution is reinvested at the close on its ex-dividend date. Taxes and trading costs are not modeled.
Compare PZZA and SBUX against another ticker
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AIQ Factor Divergence
Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.
- Momentum33 vs 82SBUX +49
- Value61 vs 24PZZA +37
- Quality40 vs 44SBUX +4
- Risk Resilience50 vs 50Even
2 of 6 evidence groups favor SBUX. SBUX’s edge is concentrated in momentum and quality; PZZA keeps a meaningful value edge.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-10-28, compared against the prior scored session 2026-10-27.
Largest factor move: Momentum +5
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 6 active signals are unchanged.
No factor moved materially.
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 5 active signals are unchanged.
SBUX's lead narrowed by 1 AIQ point in the latest session.
Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — PZZA and SBUX both carry a full feed there.
The central trade-off
SBUX (Starbucks Corporation): the stronger current systematic profile, led by momentum and quality.
PZZA (Papa John's International, Inc.): the counter-case, on value, valuation, analyst expectations.
The AIQ Score and Wall Street therefore point in different directions on this pair.
Which one fits your objective
The same two names rank differently depending on what you are optimizing for. All six reads are shown at once — none of them is hidden behind a toggle.
Balanced
SBUXSBUX on the overall AIQ Score, which weights Quality and Value most heavily.
Growth
SBUXSBUX on combined revenue and EPS growth.
Value
PZZAPZZA on the peer-relative Value factor, by 37 points.
Momentum
SBUXSBUX on the Momentum factor, by 49 points.
Lower downside
PZZAPZZA carries the lower 1-month annualized volatility.
Analyst upside
PZZAPZZA on implied upside to the consensus price target.
AIQ vs Wall Street
The model and the Street disagree here: AIQ favors SBUX, analyst targets favor PZZA. That disagreement is the most useful thing on this page.
| Measure | PZZA | SBUX | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implied upside to target | +40% | +13.3% | PZZA has more room |
| Target dispersion | +50.3% | +21.3% | Lower is tighter analyst agreement |
| Consensus | Hold | Hold | Context, not a primary driver |
| Analysts covering | 4 | 11 | Higher coverage generally improves confidence |
The two are measuring different things. The AIQ Score reads current fundamentals, valuation, trend and risk; analyst targets price forward expectations. A divergence of this kind is either a contrarian opportunity or a sign the model is missing something already priced in — it is worth resolving before acting on either.
Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions. Dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
Dividend growth
| Dividend metric | PZZA | SBUX |
|---|---|---|
| 5Y dividend CAGR | 15.38% | 7.84% |
| 2020 regular DPS | $0.900 | $1.680 |
| 2025 regular DPS | $1.840 | $2.450 |
| Years increased | 4 | 5 |
| No cut in window | Yes | Yes |
| Cohort rank | #33 | #149 |
PZZA grew its split-adjusted regular dividend faster over 2020–2025 — 15.38% a year against SBUX's 7.84%. Neither company reduced its regular dividend in any year of the window.
Yield and payout ratio shown elsewhere on this page are current values, not part of the study window.
Split-adjusted regular dividends per share, 2020–2025, excluding special dividends. Research as of Sep 19, 2026.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
2 of 6 covered evidence groups favor SBUX. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | Even | 46 vs 48 |
| Fundamentals | SBUXon balance | revenue growth 0.8% vs -2.2%; EPS growth 19% vs 102.2%; TTM ROE -6.2% vs -24.3%; gross margin 23.2% vs 31.7%; operating margin 4.1% vs 9.4% — SBUX takes 3 of 5 decided legs, not all of them |
| Valuation | PZZA | Value 61 vs 24 |
| Technicals | SBUX | Price vs 50-day -10.8% vs 4.4%; vs 200-day -38.7% vs 3.5% |
| Risk Resilience | Even | Risk Resilience 50 vs 50 |
| Analyst expectations | PZZA | Target upside 40% vs 13.3% |
✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of PZZA and SBUX and are excluded from the count.
AIQ Decision Stability
The conclusion is sensitive to small changes. Treat the lead as provisional and watch the flip conditions below.
- The AIQ gap is narrow at 2 points. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- Only 2 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- The lead has already changed hands inside the comparison window. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- The leader is throwing conflicting signals. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
Stability combines the score gap, how broadly the evidence agrees, how steady the lead has been across daily snapshots, the current signal state on both names, and analyst dispersion on SBUX.
How the comparison changed
120 daily snapshots · Jun 29 – Oct 28SBUX lead: Reversed — PZZA led by 9 AIQ points 30 sessions ago; SBUX now leads by 2.
- Today
- SBUX +2
- 46 vs 48
- 7 sessions ago
- SBUX +4
- 44 vs 48
- 30 sessions ago
- PZZA +9
- 45 vs 36
- 90 sessions ago
- Level
- 45 vs 45
The lead changed hands 6 times in this window, most recently on Oct 22 when SBUX moved ahead of PZZA.
AIQ Signal Divergence
Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.
1 bullish / 3 bearish / 2 neutral, conflicted
Only PZZA
- Bollinger Band Squeeze — neutral, volatility, short horizon
- ATR Expansion - Breakout Mode — neutral, volatility, short horizon (3.71%)
- 52-Week Low Proximity — bearish, risk, long horizon (1.6%)
- Downtrend Structure Active — bearish, trend, long horizon
3 bullish / 2 bearish, conflicted
Only SBUX
- Keltner Channel Breakout — bullish, volatility, short horizon
- RSI Overbought — bearish, momentum, short horizon
- EMA Ribbon Expansion Bullish — bullish, trend, medium horizon
Both carry 2 more signals that do not separate them: Death Cross Active, MACD Bullish Crossover.
SBUX leads the comparison while carrying a conflicted signal state, which is one reason the stability rating is not higher.
Price vs model alignment
Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.
Price is down while the AIQ Score moved up 1 points over the same session — price and model disagree (price -1.84%, AIQ +1 points).
Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price -1.74%, AIQ 0 points).
What would flip this result
A state, not a forecast. These are the specific, observable changes that would reverse the verdict — not a price prediction.
- 1PZZA closes the Momentum gap — currently 49 points behind, the largest single contributor to SBUX's edge.
- 2PZZA's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it.
- 3SBUX's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 3 bullish and 2 bearish rules at once.
- 4A regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
The full evidence
Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.
Fundamentals
SBUX leads on balance| Metric | PZZA | SBUX |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth (YoY) | 0.8% | -2.2% |
| EPS growth (YoY) | 19% | 102.2% |
| Gross margin | 23.2% | 31.7% |
| Operating margin | 4.1% | 9.4% |
| Return on equity (TTM) | -6.2% | -24.3% |
| Debt to equity | -2.06 | -2.92 |
Performance
SBUX leads 6 of 6 windows| Metric | PZZA | SBUX |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | 1.6% | 4.2% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | -5.9% | 9.8% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | -38.7% | -2.5% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | -47.1% | -2.2% |
| Year to date | -51.8% | 22.6% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | -66.1% | 19.9% |
Technicals
SBUX has the stronger structure| Metric | PZZA | SBUX |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 39.2 | 77.3 |
| ADX (14) | 33.9 | 30.3 |
| Price vs 50-day | -10.8% | 4.4% |
| Price vs 200-day | -38.7% | 3.5% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 25% | 25.6% |
Risk
Split| Metric | PZZA | SBUX |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | 0.3 | 0.54 |
| Sharpe ratio | -1.87 | 0.68 |
| Sortino ratio | -2.72 | 1.27 |
| Max drawdown | -65.5% | -16.4% |
| Current drawdown | -64.7% | -4.9% |
| Annualized volatility | 50.6% | 27.6% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -5% | -2.5% |
Straight answers
Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.
Which is better, PZZA or SBUX?
On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, SBUX is the stronger of the two as of Oct 31, 2026, scoring 48 against PZZA's 46. The edge comes from momentum and quality. PZZA is not without a case — it holds the better value profile, which matters more if that is the objective you are optimizing for. This is a systematic score, not a recommendation: it ranks the two on the same evidence, it does not know your holding period or tax position.
Is PZZA or SBUX the better buy right now?
SBUX carries the stronger systematic profile as of Oct 31, 2026, and the comparison is rated Fragile — 2 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. A Fragile rating means the conclusion is sensitive: the AIQ gap is narrow at 2 points. Treat the lead as provisional.
Why does the AIQ Score favor SBUX over PZZA?
The composite weights Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience. SBUX leads Momentum by 49 points; PZZA leads Value by 37 points; SBUX leads Quality by 4 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.
Which has more analyst upside, PZZA or SBUX?
Analyst price targets imply +40% upside for PZZA and +13.3% for SBUX, so the Street currently favors PZZA. That points the opposite way to the AIQ Score, which favors SBUX. The two are measuring different things: the model reads current fundamentals, valuation, trend and risk; the Street is pricing forward expectations. A divergence of this kind is either a contrarian opportunity or a sign the model is missing something the analysts have already priced — it is the single most useful row on this page to investigate. Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions, and dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
Which is better value, PZZA or SBUX?
PZZA is the better-valued of the two on the peer-relative Value factor. PZZA on the peer-relative Value factor, by 37 points. The Value factor reads valuation relative to sector peers and to the company's own fundamental quality, so it is not the same as simply having the lower multiple.
Which has stronger growth, PZZA or SBUX?
SBUX on combined revenue and EPS growth. Growth here is measured on reported revenue and earnings, not on forward estimates — it describes what the businesses have delivered, not what the Street expects next.
Which has stronger momentum, PZZA or SBUX?
SBUX on the Momentum factor, by 49 points. Momentum is one of the four weighted factors in the AIQ composite. It has documented persistence over three- to twelve-month horizons, which makes it a timing input rather than a reason to hold something indefinitely.
Which is riskier, PZZA or SBUX?
PZZA is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. PZZA carries the lower 1-month annualized volatility. Risk Resilience is a weighted factor in the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.
Is PZZA more profitable than SBUX?
The profitability evidence is mixed: gross margin 23.2% vs 31.7%; operating margin 4.1% vs 9.4%; ttm roe -6.2% vs -24.3%. PZZA leads on one measure and SBUX on two measures, and there is no single profitability composite that resolves the split — which of the two reads as "more profitable" depends on whether you weight pricing power or operating leverage.
Is SBUX's lead over PZZA getting stronger or weaker?
SBUX lead: Reversed — PZZA led by 9 AIQ points 30 sessions ago; SBUX now leads by 2. This is measured from 120 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-06-29 and 2026-10-28. The lead has changed hands 6 times in that window, most recently on 2026-10-22, when SBUX moved ahead of PZZA.
What would change the PZZA vs SBUX verdict?
The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: PZZA closes the Momentum gap — currently 49 points behind, the largest single contributor to SBUX's edge; PZZA's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it; SBUX's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 3 bullish and 2 bearish rules at once; a regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
What do the current signals say about PZZA and SBUX?
PZZA: 1 bullish / 3 bearish / 2 neutral, conflicted. SBUX: 3 bullish / 2 bearish, conflicted. A conflicted state means bullish and bearish rules are active on the same name at once — the technical evidence is not pointing one way, and a decision taken on it carries more timing risk. The most decision-relevant rule on PZZA is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon). On SBUX it is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon).
Compare PZZA and SBUX with others
Continue your research
This page answers which of the two. These answer the questions on either side of it.
How this comparison is scored
The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk, each carrying a fixed weight. Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.
The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.
How to use side-by-side comparison →This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.