Short Interest in Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO) Declines By 29.2%

Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest during the month of April. As of April 30th, there was short interest totalling 587,800 shares, a decline of 29.2% from the April 15th total of 830,100 shares. Approximately 0.1% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 427,600 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.4 days.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Pearson

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in PSO. 13D Management LLC grew its holdings in Pearson by 35.5% during the 3rd quarter. 13D Management LLC now owns 757,583 shares of the company's stock worth $7,985,000 after acquiring an additional 198,674 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Pearson by 6.8% during the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 2,239,694 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,526,000 after purchasing an additional 142,801 shares in the last quarter. Mariner LLC increased its holdings in Pearson by 43.1% in the third quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 132,517 shares of the company's stock worth $1,397,000 after purchasing an additional 39,939 shares in the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its stake in Pearson by 9,603.7% in the first quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 39,785 shares of the company's stock valued at $524,000 after buying an additional 39,375 shares during the period. Finally, Henry James International Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Pearson by 9.8% during the 1st quarter. Henry James International Management Inc. now owns 296,744 shares of the company's stock worth $3,905,000 after buying an additional 26,411 shares in the last quarter. 2.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded Pearson from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 3rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,056.67.

Pearson Price Performance

Shares of Pearson stock traded down $0.06 during trading on Friday, hitting $12.47. The company's stock had a trading volume of 228,542 shares, compared to its average volume of 457,330. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 1.67 and a current ratio of 1.73. Pearson has a 52 week low of $9.77 and a 52 week high of $13.18. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $12.70 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $12.29.

Pearson Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a Semi-Annual dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 8th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 22nd were paid a $0.1987 dividend. This is a boost from Pearson's previous Semi-Annual dividend of $0.07. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 21st. This represents a dividend yield of 2.2%.

Pearson Company Profile

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.