Pearson, PLC $PSO Stock Position Decreased by Ethic Inc.

Key Points

• Ethic Inc. has reduced its stake in Pearson, PLC by 11.2%, now holding 153,648 shares worth approximately $2.28 million.
• Several other institutional investors also adjusted their positions, with notable increases from Envestnet Asset Management and Townsquare Capital.
• Research analysts have mixed ratings on Pearson, with an average target price of $18.00 and varying recommendations from "strong-buy" to "hold."

Ethic Inc. cut its position in shares of Pearson, PLC (NYSE:PSO - Free Report) by 11.2% in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 153,648 shares of the company's stock after selling 19,375 shares during the period. Ethic Inc.'s holdings in Pearson were worth $2,283,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. XTX Topco Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Pearson during the 1st quarter valued at about $1,396,000. Diversify Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Pearson during the 1st quarter valued at about $851,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Pearson by 146.3% during the 1st quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 151,413 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,424,000 after acquiring an additional 89,949 shares during the last quarter. Townsquare Capital LLC increased its holdings in shares of Pearson by 203.8% during the 1st quarter. Townsquare Capital LLC now owns 50,297 shares of the company's stock valued at $805,000 after acquiring an additional 33,743 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cetera Investment Advisers acquired a new position in shares of Pearson during the 1st quarter valued at about $401,000. 2.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of Pearson in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. BNP Paribas raised Pearson from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, June 27th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "hold" rating on shares of Pearson in a report on Monday, August 4th. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on Pearson in a report on Monday, October 20th. They issued an "equal weight" rating on the stock. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Pearson from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, September 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Pearson has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $18.00.

Pearson Stock Performance

PSO opened at $14.96 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 0.55. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $14.35 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $14.89. The company has a quick ratio of 2.24, a current ratio of 2.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. Pearson, PLC has a 12-month low of $13.45 and a 12-month high of $17.90.

Pearson Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 22nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 15th were issued a dividend of $0.0892 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 210.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 15th. Pearson's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 22.34%.

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.

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