Weiss Ratings Reaffirms "Buy (B-)" Rating for Pearson (NYSE:PSO)

Key Points

• Weiss Ratings has reaffirmed a "Buy (B-)" rating for Pearson (NYSE:PSO), indicating confidence in the company's stock performance.
• The consensus rating for Pearson among analysts is "Buy," with an average price target of $18.00.
• Institutional investors have shown increasing interest, with significant investments from firms such as Millennium Management and JPMorgan Chase, indicating confidence in Pearson's future growth.

Pearson (NYSE:PSO - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "buy (b-)" rating restated by equities research analysts at Weiss Ratings in a report released on Wednesday,Weiss Ratings reports.

A number of other research firms have also recently issued reports on PSO. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "hold" rating on shares of Pearson in a report on Monday, August 4th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Pearson from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, September 20th. Finally, BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Pearson from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, June 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $18.00.

Pearson Stock Up 1.1%

PSO stock opened at $14.20 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 2.31 and a quick ratio of 2.24. Pearson has a 52-week low of $13.27 and a 52-week high of $17.90. The company has a 50-day moving average of $14.36 and a two-hundred day moving average of $14.98. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 0.55.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Pearson

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in PSO. Millennium Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Pearson during the 1st quarter worth about $11,546,000. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of Pearson by 1,072.4% during the 2nd quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 605,707 shares of the company's stock worth $9,043,000 after acquiring an additional 554,044 shares during the period. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Pearson by 109.6% during the 2nd quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC now owns 445,228 shares of the company's stock worth $6,647,000 after acquiring an additional 232,788 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Pearson by 672.2% during the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 261,605 shares of the company's stock worth $3,906,000 after acquiring an additional 227,725 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Pearson by 34.6% during the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 693,250 shares of the company's stock worth $10,350,000 after acquiring an additional 178,239 shares during the period. 2.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.

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