Pearson (NYSE:PSO) Raised to Buy at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Pearson (NYSE:PSO) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report report published on Monday.

Other analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Pearson to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. National Bankshares set a $18.00 price objective on shares of Pearson in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th.

Pearson Stock Performance

NYSE PSO opened at $17.40 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $11.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.51, a PEG ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.40. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $16.45 and its 200 day simple moving average is $15.17. Pearson has a twelve month low of $11.78 and a twelve month high of $17.90. The company has a quick ratio of 1.72, a current ratio of 1.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34.

Pearson Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 21st will be paid a dividend of $0.2092 per share. This represents a yield of 1.7%. This is a boost from Pearson’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.10. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 21st. Pearson’s dividend payout ratio is currently 20.21%.

Institutional Trading of Pearson

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Versant Capital Management Inc bought a new stake in shares of Pearson during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Pearson during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its stake in shares of Pearson by 86.9% during the third quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 3,145 shares of the company’s stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 1,462 shares during the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new stake in shares of Pearson during the third quarter valued at approximately $47,000. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Pearson by 228.0% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 4,044 shares of the company’s stock valued at $65,000 after purchasing an additional 2,811 shares during the last quarter. 2.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Pearson

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.