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Pearson (PSON) Competitors

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GBX 1,222 -1.50 (-0.12%)
As of 10/2/2026 12:10 PM Eastern

PSON vs. IGG, GNS, CVSG, XPS, and SMWH

Should you buy Pearson stock or one of its competitors? Pearson's main competitors and comparable companies include IG Group (IGG), Genus (GNS), CVS Group (CVSG), XPS Pensions Group (XPS), and WH Smith (SMWH). Companies are selected based on similarities in market, industry, and size. These companies are all part of the "diversified consumer services" industry.

How does Pearson compare to IG Group?

Pearson (LON:PSON) and IG Group (LON:IGG) are both mid-cap consumer discretionary companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, profitability, media sentiment, earnings, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, risk and valuation.

Pearson presently has a consensus target price of GBX 1,278.33, indicating a potential upside of 4.61%. IG Group has a consensus target price of GBX 1,550, indicating a potential upside of 56.57%. Given IG Group's stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe IG Group is more favorable than Pearson.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
Pearson
0 Sell rating(s)
3 Hold rating(s)
0 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.00
IG Group
0 Sell rating(s)
1 Hold rating(s)
3 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.75

IG Group has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Pearson. IG Group is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Pearson, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings Ratio
Pearson£3.63B2.02£346.29M£50.0024.44
IG Group£949.10M3.44£533.35M£105.109.42

In the previous week, IG Group had 6 more articles in the media than Pearson. MarketBeat recorded 9 mentions for IG Group and 3 mentions for Pearson. Pearson's average media sentiment score of 0.59 beat IG Group's score of 0.00 indicating that Pearson is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment
Pearson
1 Very Positive mention(s)
1 Positive mention(s)
1 Neutral mention(s)
0 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Positive
IG Group
0 Very Positive mention(s)
1 Positive mention(s)
3 Neutral mention(s)
2 Negative mention(s)
2 Very Negative mention(s)
Neutral

56.5% of Pearson shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 74.0% of IG Group shares are held by institutional investors. 1.0% of Pearson shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 1.2% of IG Group shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Pearson has a beta of 0.34266028, suggesting that its stock price is 66% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, IG Group has a beta of 0.498, suggesting that its stock price is 50% less volatile than the broader market.

IG Group has a net margin of 30.26% compared to Pearson's net margin of 8.78%. IG Group's return on equity of 19.99% beat Pearson's return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
Pearson8.78% 9.13% 4.85%
IG Group 30.26%19.99%10.37%

Pearson pays an annual dividend of GBX 25.20 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.1%. IG Group pays an annual dividend of GBX 46.50 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.7%. Pearson pays out 50.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. IG Group pays out 44.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. IG Group is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Summary

IG Group beats Pearson on 15 of the 18 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does Pearson compare to Genus?

Genus (LON:GNS) and Pearson (LON:PSON) are both consumer discretionary companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, dividends, risk, earnings, analyst recommendations, valuation, media sentiment and institutional ownership.

Genus has a beta of 0.902, meaning that its share price is 10% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Pearson has a beta of 0.34266028, meaning that its share price is 66% less volatile than the broader market.

In the previous week, Genus had 1 more articles in the media than Pearson. MarketBeat recorded 4 mentions for Genus and 3 mentions for Pearson. Genus' average media sentiment score of 1.17 beat Pearson's score of 0.59 indicating that Genus is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment
Genus
2 Very Positive mention(s)
2 Positive mention(s)
0 Neutral mention(s)
0 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Positive
Pearson
1 Very Positive mention(s)
1 Positive mention(s)
1 Neutral mention(s)
0 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Positive

Genus has a net margin of 43.35% compared to Pearson's net margin of 8.78%. Genus' return on equity of 44.90% beat Pearson's return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
Genus43.35% 44.90% 3.31%
Pearson 8.78%9.13%4.85%

54.8% of Genus shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 56.5% of Pearson shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.7% of Genus shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 1.0% of Pearson shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Pearson has higher revenue and earnings than Genus. Pearson is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Genus, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings Ratio
Genus£658.10M2.17£7.87M£71.0030.32
Pearson£3.63B2.02£346.29M£50.0024.44

Genus pays an annual dividend of GBX 32 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.5%. Pearson pays an annual dividend of GBX 25.20 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.1%. Genus pays out 45.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Pearson pays out 50.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years.

Genus currently has a consensus target price of GBX 3,216.67, indicating a potential upside of 49.42%. Pearson has a consensus target price of GBX 1,278.33, indicating a potential upside of 4.61%. Given Genus' stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, research analysts plainly believe Genus is more favorable than Pearson.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
Genus
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Hold rating(s)
3 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
3.00
Pearson
0 Sell rating(s)
3 Hold rating(s)
0 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.00

Summary

Genus beats Pearson on 12 of the 18 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does Pearson compare to CVS Group?

CVS Group (LON:CVSG) and Pearson (LON:PSON) are both consumer discretionary companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, profitability, media sentiment, risk, valuation, dividends and earnings.

Pearson has a net margin of 8.78% compared to CVS Group's net margin of 2.43%. Pearson's return on equity of 9.13% beat CVS Group's return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
CVS Group2.43% 5.91% 5.03%
Pearson 8.78%9.13%4.85%

CVS Group currently has a consensus price target of GBX 1,666.67, suggesting a potential upside of 46.20%. Pearson has a consensus price target of GBX 1,278.33, suggesting a potential upside of 4.61%. Given CVS Group's stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe CVS Group is more favorable than Pearson.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
CVS Group
0 Sell rating(s)
2 Hold rating(s)
4 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.67
Pearson
0 Sell rating(s)
3 Hold rating(s)
0 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.00

In the previous week, CVS Group had 1 more articles in the media than Pearson. MarketBeat recorded 4 mentions for CVS Group and 3 mentions for Pearson. Pearson's average media sentiment score of 0.59 beat CVS Group's score of 0.24 indicating that Pearson is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment
CVS Group
1 Very Positive mention(s)
0 Positive mention(s)
3 Neutral mention(s)
0 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Neutral
Pearson
1 Very Positive mention(s)
1 Positive mention(s)
1 Neutral mention(s)
0 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Positive

48.5% of CVS Group shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 56.5% of Pearson shares are held by institutional investors. 1.5% of CVS Group shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 1.0% of Pearson shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

CVS Group has a beta of 1.071, meaning that its stock price is 7% more volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Pearson has a beta of 0.34266028, meaning that its stock price is 66% less volatile than the broader market.

CVS Group pays an annual dividend of GBX 8.50 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.7%. Pearson pays an annual dividend of GBX 25.20 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.1%. CVS Group pays out 12.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Pearson pays out 50.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years.

Pearson has higher revenue and earnings than CVS Group. CVS Group is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Pearson, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings Ratio
CVS Group£712.80M1.09£20.68M£68.9016.55
Pearson£3.63B2.02£346.29M£50.0024.44

Summary

CVS Group and Pearson tied by winning 9 of the 18 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does Pearson compare to XPS Pensions Group?

Pearson (LON:PSON) and XPS Pensions Group (LON:XPS) are both consumer discretionary companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, risk, earnings, media sentiment, profitability, valuation and dividends.

XPS Pensions Group has a net margin of 10.11% compared to Pearson's net margin of 8.78%. XPS Pensions Group's return on equity of 15.48% beat Pearson's return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
Pearson8.78% 9.13% 4.85%
XPS Pensions Group 10.11%15.48%7.60%

Pearson has higher revenue and earnings than XPS Pensions Group. XPS Pensions Group is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Pearson, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings Ratio
Pearson£3.63B2.02£346.29M£50.0024.44
XPS Pensions Group£262.66M2.27£256.22M£12.4023.67

Pearson pays an annual dividend of GBX 25.20 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.1%. XPS Pensions Group pays an annual dividend of GBX 12.30 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.2%. Pearson pays out 50.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. XPS Pensions Group pays out 99.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future.

In the previous week, Pearson had 2 more articles in the media than XPS Pensions Group. MarketBeat recorded 3 mentions for Pearson and 1 mentions for XPS Pensions Group. XPS Pensions Group's average media sentiment score of 0.59 beat Pearson's score of 0.59 indicating that XPS Pensions Group is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment
Pearson
1 Very Positive mention(s)
1 Positive mention(s)
1 Neutral mention(s)
0 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Positive
XPS Pensions Group
0 Very Positive mention(s)
1 Positive mention(s)
0 Neutral mention(s)
0 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Positive

Pearson has a beta of 0.34266028, suggesting that its share price is 66% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, XPS Pensions Group has a beta of 0.345, suggesting that its share price is 66% less volatile than the broader market.

56.5% of Pearson shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 60.4% of XPS Pensions Group shares are held by institutional investors. 1.0% of Pearson shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 1.0% of XPS Pensions Group shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Pearson currently has a consensus target price of GBX 1,278.33, suggesting a potential upside of 4.61%. XPS Pensions Group has a consensus target price of GBX 451.50, suggesting a potential upside of 53.83%. Given XPS Pensions Group's stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe XPS Pensions Group is more favorable than Pearson.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
Pearson
0 Sell rating(s)
3 Hold rating(s)
0 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.00
XPS Pensions Group
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Hold rating(s)
6 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
3.00

Summary

XPS Pensions Group beats Pearson on 12 of the 18 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does Pearson compare to WH Smith?

Pearson (LON:PSON) and WH Smith (LON:SMWH) are both consumer discretionary companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, risk, media sentiment, earnings, dividends, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership and valuation.

56.5% of Pearson shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 71.9% of WH Smith shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.0% of Pearson shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 1.0% of WH Smith shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Pearson has a net margin of 8.78% compared to WH Smith's net margin of -9.48%. Pearson's return on equity of 9.13% beat WH Smith's return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
Pearson8.78% 9.13% 4.85%
WH Smith -9.48%-90.46%6.62%

Pearson has a beta of 0.34266028, meaning that its share price is 66% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, WH Smith has a beta of 0.929, meaning that its share price is 7% less volatile than the broader market.

Pearson currently has a consensus target price of GBX 1,278.33, indicating a potential upside of 4.61%. WH Smith has a consensus target price of GBX 566.43, indicating a potential upside of 53.50%. Given WH Smith's stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe WH Smith is more favorable than Pearson.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
Pearson
0 Sell rating(s)
3 Hold rating(s)
0 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.00
WH Smith
0 Sell rating(s)
4 Hold rating(s)
3 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.43

In the previous week, Pearson had 1 more articles in the media than WH Smith. MarketBeat recorded 3 mentions for Pearson and 2 mentions for WH Smith. Pearson's average media sentiment score of 0.59 beat WH Smith's score of 0.51 indicating that Pearson is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment
Pearson
1 Very Positive mention(s)
1 Positive mention(s)
1 Neutral mention(s)
0 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Positive
WH Smith
1 Very Positive mention(s)
0 Positive mention(s)
1 Neutral mention(s)
0 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Positive

Pearson pays an annual dividend of GBX 25.20 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.1%. WH Smith pays an annual dividend of GBX 17.30 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.7%. Pearson pays out 50.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. WH Smith pays out -17.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. WH Smith is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Pearson has higher revenue and earnings than WH Smith. WH Smith is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Pearson, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings Ratio
Pearson£3.63B2.02£346.29M£50.0024.44
WH Smith£1.59B0.35£63.01M-£96.70N/A

Summary

Pearson and WH Smith tied by winning 9 of the 18 factors compared between the two stocks.

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New MarketBeat Followers Over Time

This chart shows the number of new MarketBeat users adding PSON and its top 5 competitors to their watchlist. Each company is represented with a line over a 90 day period.
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Media Sentiment Over Time

This chart shows the average media sentiment of LON and its competitors over the past 90 days as caculated by MarketBeat. The averaged score is equivalent to the following: Very Negative Sentiment <= -1.5, Negative Sentiment > -1.5 and <= -0.5, Neutral Sentiment > -0.5 and < 0.5, Positive Sentiment >= 0.5 and < 1.5, and Very Positive Sentiment >= 1.5.
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PSON vs. The Competition

MetricPearsonDiversified Consumer Services IndustryConsumer Discretionary SectorLON Exchange
Market Cap£7.34B£4.16B£12.24B£2.81B
Dividend Yield2.13%2.94%71.69%6.18%
P/E Ratio24.449.7944.24366.16
Price / Sales2.0230.6292.3289,425.26
Price / Cash17.4913.4628.2127.89
Price / Book2.182.973.956.83
Net Income£346.29M£241.17M£446.16M£5.89B
7 Day Performance0.29%-1.08%-0.88%-0.73%
1 Month Performance2.01%-3.88%-4.46%16.59%
1 Year Performance15.28%-8.44%-7.88%23.09%

Pearson Competitors List

CompanyMarketRankShare PriceAnalysts' Price Target1Y Price PerformanceMarket CapRevenueP/E RatioEmployee CountIndicator(s)
PSON
Pearson
2.5603 of 5 stars
GBX 1,222
-0.1%
GBX 1,278.33
+4.6%
+15.2%£7.34B£3.63B24.4421,400
IGG
IG Group
4.0933 of 5 stars
GBX 1,328
+0.6%
GBX 1,338
+0.8%
-7.9%£4.38B£949.10M12.642,754
GNS
Genus
3.9586 of 5 stars
GBX 2,104
-0.4%
GBX 3,216.67
+52.9%
-14.6%£1.40B£658.10M29.63480
CVSG
CVS Group
4.1502 of 5 stars
GBX 1,232
-5.4%
GBX 1,720
+39.6%
-6.3%£837.39M£692.80M17.889,100
XPS
XPS Pensions Group
4.0695 of 5 stars
GBX 302
-1.0%
GBX 451.50
+49.5%
-15.2%£613.15M£262.66M24.351,712

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This page (LON:PSON) was last updated on 10/3/2026 by MarketBeat.com Staff.
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