Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO) Shares Sold by Bank of Montreal Can

Bank of Montreal Can lessened its holdings in shares of Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO - Free Report) by 30.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 280,851 shares of the company's stock after selling 125,001 shares during the quarter. Bank of Montreal Can's holdings in Pearson were worth $4,527,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. ABC Arbitrage SA purchased a new position in Pearson during the fourth quarter worth about $4,780,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its holdings in shares of Pearson by 49.5% during the 4th quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 844,228 shares of the company's stock worth $13,609,000 after acquiring an additional 279,369 shares during the period. Grantham Mayo Van Otterloo & Co. LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Pearson in the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,224,000. QRG Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in Pearson by 99.4% in the fourth quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 49,541 shares of the company's stock valued at $799,000 after purchasing an additional 24,699 shares during the period. Finally, Cerity Partners LLC increased its position in Pearson by 27.3% during the fourth quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 87,382 shares of the company's stock worth $1,368,000 after purchasing an additional 18,742 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 2.14% of the company's stock.

Pearson Trading Up 0.9 %

PSO traded up $0.14 during trading on Friday, hitting $15.75. 604,969 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 444,135. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $16.32 and a 200 day moving average price of $15.66. Pearson plc has a 1 year low of $11.78 and a 1 year high of $17.90. The company has a current ratio of 1.78, a quick ratio of 1.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The firm has a market cap of $10.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.42.

Pearson Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 16th. Investors of record on Friday, March 21st will be given a dividend of $0.2092 per share. This represents a yield of 1.7%. This is a boost from Pearson's previous semi-annual dividend of $0.10. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 21st. Pearson's dividend payout ratio is 43.62%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

PSO has been the subject of several research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of Pearson in a research note on Wednesday, March 26th. They set a "buy" rating for the company. National Bankshares set a $18.00 price target on Pearson in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Pearson from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, March 3rd.

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.