Pearson, PLC (NYSE:PSO) Receives Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages

Pearson, PLC (NYSE:PSO - Get Free Report) has received an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the six brokerages that are covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, one has given a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company.

Several research firms have recently commented on PSO. Kepler Capital Markets raised Pearson from a "reduce" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Citigroup initiated coverage on Pearson in a research report on Monday, January 12th. They set a "buy" rating on the stock. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Pearson from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Pearson from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 2nd.

Pearson Stock Performance

Pearson stock opened at $15.07 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 1.94 and a current ratio of 2.00. The business has a fifty day moving average of $13.58 and a two-hundred day moving average of $13.47. Pearson has a twelve month low of $12.02 and a twelve month high of $16.67.

Pearson Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, March 20th will be given a dividend of $0.2346 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 20th. This represents a yield of 368.0%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Pearson

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Morgan Stanley lifted its holdings in shares of Pearson by 34.4% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 3,971,424 shares of the company's stock valued at $55,759,000 after purchasing an additional 1,015,739 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC purchased a new position in Pearson during the 1st quarter worth $11,546,000. Optiver Holding B.V. acquired a new position in Pearson during the 3rd quarter valued at about $10,104,000. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd increased its position in Pearson by 1,072.4% during the 2nd quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 605,707 shares of the company's stock valued at $9,043,000 after buying an additional 554,044 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP acquired a new position in Pearson during the 4th quarter valued at about $6,515,000. 2.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Pearson

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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