O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC Buys 1,219 Shares of Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO)

O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO) by 6.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 19,263 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,219 shares during the period. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Pearson were worth $311,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in PSO. Versant Capital Management Inc purchased a new stake in Pearson during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Pearson during the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new stake in shares of Pearson during the third quarter worth about $47,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its stake 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 purchasing an additional 2,811 shares during the last quarter. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Pearson by 39.8% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,807 shares of the company’s stock valued at $110,000 after purchasing an additional 1,937 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 2.14% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

PSO has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. National Bankshares set a $18.00 price objective on shares of Pearson in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. StockNews.com raised shares of Pearson from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, March 3rd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of Pearson in a report on Wednesday, March 26th. They issued a “buy” rating for the company.

Pearson Stock Up 0.8 %

NYSE:PSO opened at $15.63 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 1.72 and a current ratio of 1.78. The firm has a market cap of $10.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.62, a P/E/G ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.42. Pearson plc has a fifty-two week low of $11.78 and a fifty-two week high of $17.90. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $16.39 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $15.61.

Pearson Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 21st will be given a $0.2092 dividend. This is a positive change from Pearson’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.10. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 21st. This represents a yield of 1.7%. Pearson’s payout ratio is 43.62%.

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.