Pearson (NYSE:PSO) Earns Buy Rating from Analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group

The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of Pearson (NYSE:PSO) in a research note published on Wednesday. The firm issued a buy rating on the stock.

Several other equities analysts also recently issued reports on PSO. 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 price objective on shares of Pearson in a report on Tuesday, February 18th.

Pearson Stock Up 0.2 %

Pearson stock opened at $15.99 on Wednesday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $16.55 and a 200-day moving average price of $15.46. Pearson has a 1-year low of $11.78 and a 1-year high of $17.90. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.01, a PEG ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.38. 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 firm also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 21st will be paid a dividend of $0.2092 per share. This represents a yield of 1.7%. This is a boost from Pearson’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.10. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 21st. Pearson’s payout ratio is presently 43.62%.

Institutional Trading of Pearson

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of PSO. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in Pearson in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. QRG Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings 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 buying an additional 24,699 shares in the last quarter. ABC Arbitrage SA acquired a new stake in Pearson during the fourth quarter valued at $4,780,000. Bank of Montreal Can increased 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 valued at $5,536,000 after buying an additional 97,443 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Pearson by 228.0% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 4,044 shares of the company’s stock worth $65,000 after acquiring an additional 2,811 shares during the period. 2.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.