Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO) Declares Dividend Increase – $0.21 Per Share

Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO) declared a semi-annual dividend on Monday, March 3rd, Wall Street Journal reports. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 21st will be paid a dividend of 0.2092 per share on Friday, May 16th. This represents a dividend yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 21st. This is a positive change from Pearson’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.10.

Pearson has increased its dividend by an average of 2.3% per year over the last three years. Pearson has a dividend payout ratio of 20.2% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Analysts expect Pearson to earn $0.83 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.19 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 22.9%.

Pearson Stock Performance

PSO traded down $0.04 on Monday, reaching $17.22. The company had a trading volume of 796,141 shares, compared to its average volume of 429,338. The company’s fifty day moving average is $16.37 and its 200 day moving average is $15.10. 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 stock has a market cap of $11.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.32, a P/E/G ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.40. Pearson has a fifty-two week low of $11.78 and a fifty-two week high of $17.42.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group raised Pearson to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. StockNews.com downgraded Pearson from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, November 15th. Finally, National Bankshares set a $18.00 price target on shares of Pearson in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th.

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.