Pearson (NYSE:PSO) Upgraded to "Strong-Buy" at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Pearson (NYSE:PSO) received a significant upgrade from Wall Street Zen to a "strong-buy" rating, reflecting positive sentiment about the company's prospects.
• BNP Paribas also raised its rating on Pearson to "strong-buy," indicating increasing confidence among analysts regarding the stock.
• Shares of Pearson rose by 5.1%, with the stock having a market cap of $9.77 billion and a PE ratio of 15.91.

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Pearson (NYSE:PSO - Free Report) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note released on Sunday.

Separately, BNP Paribas raised Pearson from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, June 27th.

Pearson Price Performance

Shares of Pearson stock traded down $0.55 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $14.42. The stock had a trading volume of 709,199 shares, compared to its average volume of 677,335. The stock's 50 day moving average is $14.71 and its 200 day moving average is $15.71. The company has a current ratio of 2.31, a quick ratio of 1.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. Pearson has a twelve month low of $13.10 and a twelve month high of $17.90. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.41 billion, a PE ratio of 15.35, a PEG ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.58.

Pearson Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 22nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.0892 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th. This represents a dividend yield of 210.0%. Pearson's payout ratio is currently 46.81%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its stake in Pearson by 1,747.9% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 163,894 shares of the company's stock worth $2,624,000 after buying an additional 155,025 shares in the last quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Pearson during the first quarter worth approximately $851,000. XTX Topco Ltd acquired a new position in Pearson in the 1st quarter valued at $1,396,000. Bank of America Corp DE raised its stake in Pearson by 20.6% in the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 190,405 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,069,000 after purchasing an additional 32,574 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Pearson by 146.3% in the 1st quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 151,413 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,424,000 after purchasing an additional 89,949 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 2.14% of the company's stock.

Pearson Company Profile

Pearson plc offers educational courseware, assessments, and services in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, the Asia Pacific, other European countries, and internationally. The company operates through five segments: Assessment & Qualifications, Virtual Learning, English Language Learning, Workforce Skills, and Higher Education.