Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO) Shares Sold by Bank of Montreal Can

Bank of Montreal Can lessened its holdings in Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO) by 30.8% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 280,851 shares of the company’s stock after selling 125,001 shares during the period. Bank of Montreal Can’s holdings in Pearson were worth $4,527,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of PSO. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in Pearson during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its holdings in shares of Pearson by 49.5% during the 4th quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 844,228 shares of the company’s stock valued at $13,609,000 after purchasing an additional 279,369 shares in the last quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Pearson by 99.4% in the 4th quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 49,541 shares of the company’s stock valued at $799,000 after purchasing an additional 24,699 shares during the period. ABC Arbitrage SA purchased a new stake in Pearson during the fourth quarter worth $4,780,000. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its position in Pearson by 228.0% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 4,044 shares of the company’s stock valued at $65,000 after buying an additional 2,811 shares during the period. 2.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Pearson Stock Performance

PSO opened at $15.75 on Tuesday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $16.36 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $15.64. Pearson plc has a 52-week low of $11.78 and a 52-week high of $17.90. The company has a market cap of $10.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.76, a PEG ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a quick ratio of 1.72, a current ratio of 1.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34.

Pearson Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 16th. Investors of record on Friday, March 21st will be paid a $0.2092 dividend. 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. This represents a yield of 1.7%. Pearson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 43.62%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have weighed in on PSO. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Pearson from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, March 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on Pearson in a report on Wednesday, March 26th. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. Finally, National Bankshares set a $18.00 price objective on Pearson in a report on Tuesday, February 18th.

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.