Renaissance Technologies LLC Cuts Stake in Pearson, PLC $PSO

Key Points

• Renaissance Technologies cut its Pearson stake by 73.2% in the first quarter, selling 69,200 shares and retaining 25,400 shares valued at approximately $334,000.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed but leans neutral: two analysts rate Pearson a Buy and five rate it Hold, resulting in a consensus Hold rating.
• Pearson shares opened at $15.98, down 1.0%, within a 12-month range of $12.02 to $17.75. The company declared a $0.1103 dividend payable September 21 to shareholders of record August 14.

Renaissance Technologies LLC lessened its stake in Pearson, PLC (NYSE:PSO - Free Report) by 73.2% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 25,400 shares of the company's stock after selling 69,200 shares during the quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC's holdings in Pearson were worth $334,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Pearson by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC now owns 42,183 shares of the company's stock valued at $592,000 after purchasing an additional 863 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Pearson by 3.9% in the fourth quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 24,482 shares of the company's stock worth $344,000 after buying an additional 930 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Pearson by 54.2% during the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 2,947 shares of the company's stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 1,036 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its holdings in shares of Pearson by 1.9% during the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 56,380 shares of the company's stock valued at $740,000 after buying an additional 1,071 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Choreo LLC increased its position in shares of Pearson by 9.2% during the fourth quarter. Choreo LLC now owns 16,058 shares of the company's stock valued at $227,000 after acquiring an additional 1,356 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 2.14% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on PSO shares. Weiss Ratings raised Pearson from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Thursday, June 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered Pearson from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "hold" rating on shares of Pearson in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Pearson in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Pearson from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Sunday, August 9th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold".

Pearson Trading Down 1.0%

Shares of PSO stock opened at $15.98 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a quick ratio of 1.94 and a current ratio of 2.00. Pearson, PLC has a 12-month low of $12.02 and a 12-month high of $17.75. The firm's 50 day moving average is $16.22 and its 200 day moving average is $14.61.

Pearson Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be paid a $0.1103 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 137.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th.

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.

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