Pearson (LON:PSON) Hits New 12-Month High – Here’s What Happened

Pearson plc (LON:PSON) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as GBX 1,285.50 ($16.34) and last traded at GBX 1,280 ($16.27), with a volume of 9457627 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at GBX 1,276 ($16.22).

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Pearson from GBX 1,170 ($14.87) to GBX 1,400 ($17.80) and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of GBX 1,146.75 ($14.58).

Pearson Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of £8.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 2,552.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.83 and a beta of 0.31. The company has a quick ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 1.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 43.56. The stock has a 50 day moving average of GBX 1,152.59 and a 200 day moving average of GBX 1,059.18.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Pearson news, insider Sherry Coutu acquired 922 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 30th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of GBX 1,017 ($12.93) per share, with a total value of £9,376.74 ($11,920.59). 0.35% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Pearson Company Profile

Pearson plc offers educational courseware, assessments, and services in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, the Asia Pacific, other European countries, and internationally. The company operates through five segments: Assessment & Qualifications, Virtual Learning, English Language Learning, Workforce Skills, and Higher Education.