Pearson (NYSE:PSO) Hits New 1-Year High – Time to Buy?

Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO)’s stock price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $16.30 and last traded at $16.30, with a volume of 10501 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $16.02.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com cut Pearson from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, November 15th.

Pearson Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $10.77 billion, a PE ratio of 18.38, a P/E/G ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.41. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $15.61 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $14.15. The company has a quick ratio of 1.72, a current ratio of 1.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Pearson

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PSO. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its holdings in shares of Pearson by 68.4% during the 2nd quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 421,620 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,262,000 after acquiring an additional 171,220 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP bought a new stake in Pearson in the second quarter worth $1,447,000. Bank of Montreal Can raised its stake in Pearson by 31.6% during the third quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 405,852 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,536,000 after purchasing an additional 97,443 shares in the last quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. lifted its position in Pearson by 61.1% during the third quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 153,338 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,081,000 after purchasing an additional 58,136 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Millennium Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Pearson by 66.3% in the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 298,063 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,720,000 after buying an additional 118,822 shares in the last quarter. 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.