Wall Street Zen Upgrades Pearson (NYSE:PSO) to Buy

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Pearson (NYSE:PSO) from a Hold to a Buy, while other recent analyst moves (Citigroup initiating coverage with a Buy, Weiss cutting to Hold, Kepler moving to Hold) leave the stock with an average rating of “Moderate Buy”.
• Pearson shares traded around $14.67 (12‑month range $12.02–$16.67) and show solid liquidity and leverage metrics (quick ratio 1.94, current ratio 2.00, debt/equity 0.39), and institutional investors including Invesco, Millennium and Balyasny materially increased their Q4 positions.

Pearson (NYSE:PSO - Get Free Report) was upgraded by Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note issued on Sunday.

Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Citigroup began coverage on Pearson in a research report on Monday, January 12th. They set a "buy" rating on the stock. Weiss Ratings lowered Pearson from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Kepler Capital Markets upgraded Pearson from a "reduce" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy".

Pearson Stock Performance

Shares of PSO stock opened at $14.67 on Friday. Pearson has a twelve month low of $12.02 and a twelve month high of $16.67. 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 stock's fifty day simple moving average is $13.05 and its 200 day simple moving average is $13.44.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Pearson in the 4th quarter valued at about $64,000. Invesco Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Pearson by 32.1% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,122,325 shares of the company's stock valued at $15,757,000 after purchasing an additional 272,995 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Pearson by 199.1% in the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 98,636 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,385,000 after purchasing an additional 65,663 shares during the period. Engineers Gate Manager LP lifted its stake in shares of Pearson by 135.6% in the 4th quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP now owns 30,632 shares of the company's stock valued at $430,000 after purchasing an additional 17,630 shares during the period. Finally, Balyasny Asset Management L.P. lifted its stake in shares of Pearson by 109.5% in the 4th quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 127,954 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,796,000 after purchasing an additional 66,885 shares during the period. 2.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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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