Pearson (NYSE:PSO) Upgraded by StockNews.com to "Buy" Rating

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Pearson (NYSE:PSO - Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report report published on Monday.

Several other brokerages also recently issued reports on PSO. National Bankshares set a $18.00 target price on shares of Pearson in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Pearson to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th.

Pearson Stock Performance

PSO stock traded up $0.24 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $16.85. The stock had a trading volume of 505,597 shares, compared to its average volume of 456,021. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $16.46 and a 200 day simple moving average of $15.18. Pearson has a fifty-two week low of $11.78 and a fifty-two week high of $17.90. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.23 billion, a PE ratio of 17.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 1.78 and a quick ratio of 1.72.

Pearson Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 16th. Investors of record on Friday, March 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.2092 per share. This is an increase from Pearson's previous semi-annual dividend of $0.10. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 21st. This represents a dividend yield of 1.7%. Pearson's payout ratio is presently 20.21%.

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Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. ABC Arbitrage SA bought a new position in Pearson during the 4th quarter worth $4,780,000. Bank of Montreal Can grew its stake in shares of Pearson by 31.6% in the third quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 405,852 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,536,000 after acquiring an additional 97,443 shares in the last quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. increased its position in Pearson by 99.4% during the fourth quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 49,541 shares of the company's stock worth $799,000 after acquiring an additional 24,699 shares during the period. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. raised its stake in Pearson by 61.1% in the 3rd quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 153,338 shares of the company's stock worth $2,081,000 after purchasing an additional 58,136 shares in the last quarter. Finally, FMR LLC boosted its holdings in Pearson by 20.7% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 275,310 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,736,000 after purchasing an additional 47,296 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.