Pearson, PLC (NYSE:PSO) Receives Average Recommendation of "Hold" from Brokerages

Key Points

• Pearson has an average “Hold” rating from seven brokerages: five analysts recommend holding the stock, while two recommend buying it. Recent actions included an upgrade from Weiss Ratings and downgrades from Wall Street Zen and Goldman Sachs.
• Institutional investors have modestly increased their positions in Pearson, but hedge funds and other institutions collectively own only 2.14% of the stock.
• PSO opened at $16.16, compared with a 52-week range of $12.02 to $17.75. Pearson also announced a dividend of $0.1103 per share, payable September 21 to shareholders of record August 14.

Pearson, PLC (NYSE:PSO - Get Free Report) has been assigned an average rating of "Hold" from the seven research firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and two have issued a buy recommendation on the company.

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on PSO shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded Pearson from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Thursday, June 4th. Wall Street Zen cut Pearson from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday, August 9th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "hold" rating on shares of Pearson in a report on Monday, August 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered shares of Pearson from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Pearson in a report on Tuesday, July 14th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Pearson

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Pearson by 2.1% during the fourth quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC now owns 42,183 shares of the company's stock worth $592,000 after buying an additional 863 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its position in Pearson by 3.9% in the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 24,482 shares of the company's stock valued at $344,000 after acquiring an additional 930 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its stake in Pearson by 54.2% during the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 2,947 shares of the company's stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 1,036 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its stake in Pearson by 1.9% during the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 56,380 shares of the company's stock valued at $740,000 after acquiring an additional 1,071 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Choreo LLC lifted its position in Pearson by 9.2% during the 4th quarter. Choreo LLC now owns 16,058 shares of the company's stock worth $227,000 after acquiring an additional 1,356 shares during the period. 2.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Pearson Stock Performance

PSO opened at $16.16 on Friday. Pearson has a one year low of $12.02 and a one year high of $17.75. The company has a current ratio of 2.00, a quick ratio of 1.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $16.20 and its 200-day simple moving average is $14.56.

Pearson Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be given a dividend of $0.1103 per share. This represents a yield of 137.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend 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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