Pearson (NYSE:PSO) Share Price Passes Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average - Here's What Happened

Key Points

• Pearson shares crossed above their 200-day moving average of $14.77, reaching $16.65 before closing at $16.46 on volume of 424,336 shares.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious: two analysts rate Pearson a Buy and five rate it Hold, producing an overall MarketBeat consensus rating of Hold.
• Institutional investors increased their exposure to Pearson, including significant stake increases by JPMorgan Chase, AQR Capital Management and Goldman Sachs; institutions collectively own 2.14% of the company.

Pearson, PLC (NYSE:PSO - Get Free Report)'s stock price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $14.77 and traded as high as $16.65. Pearson shares last traded at $16.46, with a volume of 424,336 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated 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 note on Tuesday, August 4th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Pearson from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, August 9th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Pearson from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Thursday, June 4th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Pearson in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold".

Pearson Stock Down 0.8%

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 has a 50 day simple moving average of $16.35 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $14.77.

Pearson Cuts Dividend

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

Institutional Trading of Pearson

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in PSO. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Pearson by 16.2% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 71,670 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,147,000 after acquiring an additional 9,977 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Pearson in the 1st quarter worth about $11,546,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Pearson by 10,532.1% in the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 25,836 shares of the company's stock worth $414,000 after purchasing an additional 25,593 shares during 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 purchasing an additional 44,349 shares in the last quarter. 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 purchasing an additional 227,725 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 2.14% of the company's stock.

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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