JPMorgan Chase & Co. Has $502,000 Stock Position in Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO)

JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its stake in shares of Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO - Free Report) by 103.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 31,145 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 15,867 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s holdings in Pearson were worth $502,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in PSO. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new stake in shares of Pearson in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $47,000. Versant Capital Management Inc acquired a new stake in Pearson in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in shares of Pearson by 78.5% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 8,869 shares of the company's stock worth $143,000 after purchasing an additional 3,901 shares in the last quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Pearson by 13.7% in the 4th quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 33,042 shares of the company's stock valued at $533,000 after buying an additional 3,990 shares during the period. Finally, Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. increased its position in shares of Pearson by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 154,460 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,490,000 after buying an additional 1,122 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 2.14% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. StockNews.com raised Pearson from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, March 3rd. National Bankshares set a $18.00 target price on Pearson in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of Pearson in a research note on Wednesday, March 26th. They issued a "buy" rating on the stock.

Pearson Stock Performance

Shares of Pearson stock opened at $16.24 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 1.78 and a quick ratio of 1.72. The firm has a market cap of $10.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.42. Pearson plc has a one year low of $11.78 and a one year high of $17.90. The stock's 50-day moving average is $16.11 and its 200-day moving average is $15.80.

Pearson Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 21st will be issued a $0.2092 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 21st. This is an increase from Pearson's previous semi-annual dividend of $0.10. This represents a dividend yield of 1.7%. Pearson's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 43.62%.

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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