Pearson (LON:PSON) Stock Price Passes Above 200-Day Moving Average of $968.58

Pearson plc (LON:PSON)’s share price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 968.58 ($11.96) and traded as high as GBX 1,000.50 ($12.36). Pearson shares last traded at GBX 991.60 ($12.25), with a volume of 1,293,539 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Barclays lowered their price target on shares of Pearson from GBX 975 ($12.04) to GBX 965 ($11.92) and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Pearson from GBX 1,200 ($14.82) to GBX 1,220 ($15.07) and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 20th. Finally, Shore Capital restated a “buy” rating on shares of Pearson in a report on Tuesday, April 2nd.

Pearson Stock Down 1.1 %

The company has a current ratio of 1.73, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 30.19. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of GBX 1,002.77 and a 200 day simple moving average of GBX 968.58. The firm has a market capitalization of £6.74 billion, a PE ratio of 1,870.94, a PEG ratio of 0.83 and a beta of 0.31.

Pearson Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 21st will be paid a GBX 15.70 ($0.19) dividend. This is a boost from Pearson’s previous dividend of $7.00. This represents a yield of 1.63%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 21st. Pearson’s payout ratio is 4,339.62%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Pearson news, insider Graeme Pitkethly acquired 210 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 28th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of GBX 1,037 ($12.81) per share, for a total transaction of £2,177.70 ($2,689.85). Insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

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.