QRG Capital Management Inc. Acquires 24,699 Shares of Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO)

QRG Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO - Free Report) by 99.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 49,541 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 24,699 shares during the period. QRG Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in Pearson were worth $799,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. ABC Arbitrage SA acquired a new position in Pearson in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $4,780,000. Bank of Montreal Can raised its holdings in Pearson by 31.6% in the third quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 405,852 shares of the company's stock worth $5,536,000 after purchasing an additional 97,443 shares during the period. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. raised its holdings in Pearson by 61.1% in the third 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 during the period. FMR LLC raised its holdings in Pearson by 20.7% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 275,310 shares of the company's stock worth $3,736,000 after purchasing an additional 47,296 shares during the period. Finally, Point72 Asset Management L.P. acquired a new stake in Pearson in the third quarter worth $628,000. 2.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Pearson Stock Up 1.4 %

Shares of NYSE:PSO traded up $0.24 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $16.85. 505,597 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 456,021. Pearson plc has a fifty-two week low of $11.78 and a fifty-two week high of $17.90. The company has a quick ratio of 1.72, a current ratio of 1.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $16.47 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $15.21. The firm has a market cap of $11.23 billion, a PE ratio of 17.92, a P/E/G ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.38.

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Pearson Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed 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 represents a dividend yield of 1.7%. This is a positive change from Pearson's previous semi-annual dividend of $0.10. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 21st. Pearson's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 43.62%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on PSO shares. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Pearson from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, March 3rd. National Bankshares set a $18.00 target price on shares of Pearson in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Pearson to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th.

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.