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

Key Points

• Analysts give Pearson an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from six brokerages, with a breakdown of four hold ratings, one buy and one strong buy.
• Large institutions have been increasing exposure—Morgan Stanley raised its stake by 34.4% to about 3.97 million shares, Goldman Sachs by 13.4% to 2.25 million shares, and Invesco by 32.1% to 1.12 million shares, while Millennium launched a new roughly $11.5 million position.
• Pearson announced a dividend of $0.2346 per share, payable May 15 to shareholders of record on March 20 (ex-dividend date March 20).

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

PSO has been the topic of several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Pearson from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Citigroup started coverage on Pearson in a report on Monday, January 12th. They issued a "buy" rating for the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded Pearson from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday. Finally, Kepler Capital Markets upgraded Pearson from a "reduce" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Pearson

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Morgan Stanley increased its holdings in Pearson by 34.4% during the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 3,971,424 shares of the company's stock worth $55,759,000 after buying an additional 1,015,739 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Pearson by 13.4% in the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 2,250,970 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,604,000 after acquiring an additional 266,782 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Pearson by 32.1% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,122,325 shares of the company's stock worth $15,757,000 after purchasing an additional 272,995 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its stake in shares of Pearson by 12.8% during the 3rd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 790,929 shares of the company's stock worth $11,200,000 after purchasing an additional 90,027 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Millennium Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Pearson in the 1st quarter valued at about $11,546,000. 2.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Pearson Stock Performance

Shares of PSO stock opened at $13.39 on Monday. Pearson has a 12 month low of $12.02 and a 12 month high of $16.67. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $12.86 and its 200-day simple moving average is $13.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 2.00 and a quick ratio of 1.94.

Pearson Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders 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 dividend yield of 368.0%.

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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