Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO) Raises Dividend to $0.21 Per Share

Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO - Get Free Report) announced a semi-annual dividend on Monday, March 3rd, Wall Street Journal reports. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 21st will be given a dividend of 0.2092 per share on Friday, May 16th. This represents a dividend yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 21st. This is a boost from Pearson's previous semi-annual dividend of $0.10.

Pearson has raised its dividend by an average of 2.3% per year over the last three years. Pearson has a payout ratio of 20.2% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Research analysts expect Pearson to earn $0.83 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.19 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 22.9%.

Pearson Stock Down 0.2 %

Pearson stock traded down $0.04 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $17.22. The stock had a trading volume of 796,141 shares, compared to its average volume of 429,338. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.40. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $16.37 and its 200-day simple moving average is $15.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 1.72 and a current ratio of 1.78. Pearson has a 1-year low of $11.78 and a 1-year high of $17.42.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

PSO has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Pearson to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. StockNews.com cut shares of Pearson from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, November 15th. Finally, National Bankshares set a $18.00 price objective on Pearson in a report on Tuesday, February 18th.

About Pearson

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.

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