Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO) Holdings Lifted by Bank of New York Mellon Corp

Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its holdings in Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO) by 6.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 54,255 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,203 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp’s holdings in Pearson were worth $875,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Versant Capital Management Inc acquired a new position in shares of Pearson in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new stake in Pearson during the third quarter valued at $47,000. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake in Pearson by 78.5% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 8,869 shares of the company’s stock valued at $143,000 after purchasing an additional 3,901 shares in the last quarter. Caprock Group LLC acquired a new position in Pearson in the 3rd quarter worth about $146,000. Finally, Glenmede Trust Co. NA purchased a new stake in shares of Pearson during the 3rd quarter worth about $149,000. 2.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. National Bankshares set a $18.00 price target on Pearson in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Pearson from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, March 3rd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Pearson to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th.

Pearson Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:PSO opened at $15.86 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.87, a P/E/G ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.38. The business has a 50-day moving average of $16.54 and a two-hundred day moving average of $15.43. Pearson plc has a fifty-two week low of $11.78 and a fifty-two week high of $17.90. 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 business also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 16th. Investors of record on Friday, March 21st will be issued a $0.2092 dividend. This is a positive change from Pearson’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.10. This represents a yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 21st. Pearson’s payout ratio is 43.62%.

Pearson 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.