Pearson, PLC (NYSE:PSO) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Pearson, PLC (NYSE:PSO) have earned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the five ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $18.00.

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Pearson in a research note on Saturday. Morgan Stanley began coverage on shares of Pearson in a research report on Monday, October 20th. They set an “equal weight” rating on the stock. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Pearson from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, September 20th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Pearson in a research note on Monday, August 4th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Pearson

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of PSO. XTX Topco Ltd acquired a new stake in Pearson in the 1st quarter valued at $1,396,000. Diversify Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Pearson in the first quarter valued at $851,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Pearson by 146.3% during the first quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 151,413 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,424,000 after buying an additional 89,949 shares during the last quarter. Townsquare Capital LLC increased its position in shares of Pearson by 203.8% during the first quarter. Townsquare Capital LLC now owns 50,297 shares of the company’s stock worth $805,000 after acquiring an additional 33,743 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cetera Investment Advisers acquired a new stake in shares of Pearson in the 1st quarter worth about $401,000. 2.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Pearson Stock Performance

Shares of Pearson stock opened at $14.96 on Monday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $14.35 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $14.88. Pearson has a 1-year low of $13.45 and a 1-year high of $17.90. The company has a current ratio of 2.31, a quick ratio of 2.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. The company has a market cap of $9.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.91, a PEG ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.55.

Pearson Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 22nd. Investors of record on Friday, August 15th were paid a dividend of $0.0892 per share. This represents a yield of 210.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 15th. Pearson’s dividend payout ratio is 22.34%.

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.