Pearson (NYSE:PSO) Shares Gap Down - Time to Sell?

Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO - Get Free Report)'s share price gapped down prior to trading on Tuesday . The stock had previously closed at $16.04, but opened at $15.15. Pearson shares last traded at $15.05, with a volume of 403,730 shares traded.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently commented on PSO. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Pearson from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 30th. National Bankshares set a $18.00 target price on shares of Pearson in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on Pearson in a research report on Wednesday, March 26th. They issued a "buy" rating on the stock.

Pearson Stock Performance

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 business has a 50 day moving average price of $15.88 and a 200 day moving average price of $16.10. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.93 billion, a PE ratio of 15.96, a PEG ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.62.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Pearson

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Millennium Management LLC bought a new stake in Pearson during the 1st quarter valued at about $11,546,000. ABC Arbitrage SA purchased a new stake in shares of Pearson during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $4,780,000. Northern Trust Corp grew its holdings in shares of Pearson by 69.0% during the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 705,622 shares of the company's stock valued at $11,375,000 after buying an additional 288,114 shares during the last quarter. Optiver Holding B.V. increased its position in shares of Pearson by 135.5% during the fourth quarter. Optiver Holding B.V. now owns 495,797 shares of the company's stock valued at $7,992,000 after acquiring an additional 285,234 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its holdings in Pearson by 49.5% in the 4th quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 844,228 shares of the company's stock worth $13,609,000 after acquiring an additional 279,369 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 2.14% of the company's stock.

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.