Pearson (NYSE:PSO) Stock Crosses Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

Pearson, PLC (NYSE:PSO) shares passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday. The stock has a 200-day moving average of $15.55 and traded as high as $17.25. Pearson shares last traded at $17.2250, with a volume of 583,862 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

PSO has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Citigroup lowered Pearson from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded Pearson from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Pearson from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Pearson in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Kepler Capital Markets cut shares of Pearson from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Monday, September 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

Pearson Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 2.00 and a quick ratio of 1.94. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $16.23 and a 200-day simple moving average of $15.58.

Pearson Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 21st. Investors of record on Friday, August 14th were paid a $0.1103 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 137.0%. This is a negative change from Pearson’s previous dividend of $0.2346. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 14th.

Institutional Trading of Pearson

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PSO. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Pearson during the fourth quarter worth about $64,000. Royal Bank of Canada grew its stake in Pearson by 86.5% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 5,613 shares of the company’s stock valued at $74,000 after purchasing an additional 2,604 shares in the last quarter. SmartHarvest Portfolios LLC acquired a new stake in Pearson during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $134,000. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in Pearson by 44.3% during the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 8,880 shares of the company’s stock worth $141,000 after purchasing an additional 2,727 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Keybank National Association OH purchased a new stake in Pearson during the 1st quarter worth approximately $147,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 2.14% of the company’s stock.

Pearson Company Profile

Pearson plc is a global learning and education company headquartered in London, England. Through its assessment, qualifications, learning content and digital services businesses, Pearson supports students, educators, institutions, employers and governments throughout the education and workforce-development lifecycle.

The company provides academic and professional assessments, English-language testing, vocational and higher-education qualifications, textbooks, digital courseware and online learning platforms.