Pearson, PLC (NYSE:PSO) Short Interest Update

Key Points

• Pearson experienced a 32.4% increase in short interest in April to 3,558,363 shares (about 0.6% of float), giving a days-to-cover ratio of 3.3 based on average daily volume.
• Pearson declared a $0.2346 dividend payable on May 15 to shareholders of record on March 20, with an ex-dividend date of March 20.
• Analyst and institutional activity is broadly positive: MarketBeat shows a consensus "Moderate Buy" after recent upgrades (e.g., Wall Street Zen, Citigroup) while firms including Millennium, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan increased or initiated positions.

Pearson, PLC (NYSE:PSO - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant growth in short interest during the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totaling 3,558,363 shares, a growth of 32.4% from the March 31st total of 2,688,234 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,071,066 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.3 days. Approximately 0.6% of the company's shares are short sold.

Pearson Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of PSO opened at $14.45 on Wednesday. Pearson has a twelve month low of $12.02 and a twelve month high of $16.67. The company has a quick ratio of 1.94, a current ratio of 2.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $13.35 and its 200 day simple moving average is $13.45.

Pearson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 20th will be issued a $0.2346 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 368.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 20th.

Institutional Trading of Pearson

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Pearson by 16.2% in the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 71,670 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,147,000 after buying an additional 9,977 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC purchased a new stake in Pearson during the first quarter worth approximately $11,546,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Pearson by 10,532.1% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 25,836 shares of the company's stock worth $414,000 after acquiring an additional 25,593 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Pearson by 2.1% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 2,144,680 shares of the company's stock valued at $34,336,000 after acquiring an additional 44,349 shares during the period. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in shares of Pearson by 672.2% in the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 261,605 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,906,000 after acquiring an additional 227,725 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 2.14% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently commented on PSO. Wall Street Zen upgraded Pearson from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Sunday, April 19th. Kepler Capital Markets upgraded Pearson from a "reduce" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Pearson from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of Pearson in a research report on Monday, January 12th. They issued a "buy" rating on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Pearson currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy".

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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