Kepler Capital Markets Downgrades Pearson (NYSE:PSO) to Strong Sell

Pearson (NYSE:PSO) was downgraded by research analysts at Kepler Capital Markets from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a note issued to investors on Monday, Zacks reports.

PSO has been the subject of a number of other reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Pearson in a research note on Tuesday, September 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Pearson in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Pearson in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Citigroup cut Pearson from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 2nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Pearson from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

Pearson Trading Down 1.8%

PSO stock opened at $15.69 on Monday. Pearson has a twelve month low of $12.02 and a twelve month high of $17.75. The company has a current ratio of 2.00, a quick ratio of 1.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $16.54 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $15.01.

Institutional Trading of Pearson

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of PSO. Morgan Stanley grew its stake in Pearson by 34.4% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 3,971,424 shares of the company’s stock worth $55,759,000 after purchasing an additional 1,015,739 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC purchased a new position in Pearson in the first quarter valued at about $11,546,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its stake in shares of Pearson by 72.5% during the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,645,461 shares of the company’s stock worth $21,605,000 after acquiring an additional 691,339 shares in the last quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd lifted its position in Pearson by 1,072.4% during the second quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 605,707 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,043,000 after acquiring an additional 554,044 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP acquired a new stake in Pearson in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $6,515,000. Institutional investors own 2.14% of the company’s stock.

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.