Pearson (NYSE:PSO) Reaches New 12-Month High – Should You Buy?

Shares of Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $14.98 and last traded at $14.98, with a volume of 124188 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $14.88.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have commented on PSO. StockNews.com lowered shares of Pearson from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. Citigroup raised Pearson to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 30th.

Pearson Price Performance

The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $13.71 and its 200 day simple moving average is $13.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 1.78 and a quick ratio of 1.72. The stock has a market cap of $9.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.98, a P/E/G ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.39.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in PSO. Lester Murray Antman dba SimplyRich lifted its position in Pearson by 8.6% during the 1st quarter. Lester Murray Antman dba SimplyRich now owns 31,440 shares of the company’s stock worth $414,000 after buying an additional 2,499 shares in the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Pearson by 9,603.7% in the 1st quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 39,785 shares of the company’s stock valued at $524,000 after purchasing an additional 39,375 shares during the period. Henry James International Management Inc. lifted its stake in Pearson by 9.8% in the 1st quarter. Henry James International Management Inc. now owns 296,744 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,905,000 after purchasing an additional 26,411 shares during the last quarter. SageView Advisory Group LLC acquired a new position in Pearson during the first quarter worth approximately $42,000. Finally, O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Pearson in the first quarter valued at approximately $227,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 2.14% of the company’s stock.

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.