Pearson, PLC Announces Semi-annual Dividend of $0.09 (NYSE:PSO)

Key Points

• Pearson, PLC announced a semi-annual dividend of $0.09 per share, set to be paid on September 22nd to investors of record as of August 15th, which reflects a significant yield of 210.0%.
• The company has a dividend payout ratio of 46.8%, indicating that its dividend is well covered by earnings, with projections for continued coverage based on expected earnings of $0.83 per share next year.
• Pearson's stock is currently trading at $14.95, with a market cap of $9.76 billion and recent institutional interest showing significant increases in holdings by various hedge funds.

Pearson, PLC (NYSE:PSO - Get Free Report) announced a semi-annual dividend on Tuesday, August 5th, Wall Street Journal reports. Investors of record on Friday, August 15th will be paid a dividend of 0.0892 per share on Monday, September 22nd. This represents a yield of 210.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th.

Pearson has a dividend payout ratio of 46.8% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities analysts expect Pearson to earn $0.83 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.44 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 53.0%.

Pearson Trading Down 0.2%

PSO stock traded down $0.03 on Tuesday, reaching $14.95. The company's stock had a trading volume of 993,699 shares, compared to its average volume of 677,231. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $14.77 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $15.72. Pearson has a 12-month low of $13.10 and a 12-month high of $17.90. The firm has a market cap of $9.76 billion, a PE ratio of 15.90, a PEG ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 1.80 and a current ratio of 1.85.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in shares of Pearson by 1,747.9% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 163,894 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,624,000 after buying an additional 155,025 shares in the last quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Pearson during the 1st quarter valued at about $851,000. XTX Topco Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Pearson during the 1st quarter valued at about $1,396,000. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its position in shares of Pearson by 20.6% during the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 190,405 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,069,000 after buying an additional 32,574 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lifted its position 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 buying an additional 89,949 shares in the last quarter. 2.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.

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