Pearson, PLC (NYSE:PSO) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Pearson, PLC (NYSE:PSO) have earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the seven ratings firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, two have assigned a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company.

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen raised Pearson from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday. Kepler Capital Markets upgraded shares of Pearson from a “reduce” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Pearson from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Citigroup started coverage on shares of Pearson in a report on Monday, January 12th. They issued a “buy” rating for the company.

Pearson Stock Down 3.2%

Pearson stock opened at $12.74 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 1.94 and a current ratio of 2.00. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $12.85 and its two-hundred day moving average is $13.53. Pearson has a 1-year low of $12.02 and a 1-year high of $16.67.

Pearson Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, March 20th will be given a $0.2346 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 20th. This represents a yield of 368.0%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Pearson

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Pearson during the fourth quarter worth about $64,000. Invesco Ltd. grew its stake in Pearson by 32.1% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,122,325 shares of the company’s stock worth $15,757,000 after buying an additional 272,995 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC increased its position in Pearson by 199.1% during the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 98,636 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,385,000 after buying an additional 65,663 shares during the period. Engineers Gate Manager LP lifted its stake in Pearson by 135.6% in the fourth quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP now owns 30,632 shares of the company’s stock valued at $430,000 after buying an additional 17,630 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Balyasny Asset Management L.P. lifted its stake in Pearson by 109.5% in the fourth quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 127,954 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,796,000 after buying an additional 66,885 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 2.14% of the company’s stock.

Pearson Company Profile

Pearson plc is a global education company headquartered in London, England, with significant operations in North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Tracing its roots back to 1844, Pearson evolved from its early beginnings into one of the world’s leading providers of educational content, digital learning tools, and assessment services. The company’s American subsidiary trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol PSO.

Pearson’s core business encompasses a broad portfolio of products and services for learners, educators, and institutions.