Pearson (NYSE:PSO) Earns Equal Weight Rating from Analysts at Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of Pearson (NYSE:PSO) in a research note issued to investors on Monday morning. The firm issued an equal weight rating on the stock.

A number of other brokerages have also recently commented on PSO. BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Pearson from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, June 27th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Pearson from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, September 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “hold” rating on shares of Pearson in a report on Monday, August 4th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Pearson in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Pearson currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $18.00.

Pearson Stock Performance

Shares of PSO stock opened at $14.90 on Monday. Pearson has a 12 month low of $13.45 and a 12 month high of $17.90. The stock has a market cap of $9.56 billion, a PE ratio of 15.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 0.55. The company has a current ratio of 2.31, a quick ratio of 2.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $14.34 and its 200-day moving average price is $14.89.

Pearson Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 22nd. Investors of record on Friday, August 15th were paid a $0.0892 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 15th. This represents a yield of 210.0%. Pearson’s payout ratio is presently 22.34%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Pearson

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. TD Private Client Wealth LLC raised its position in Pearson by 1,798.8% in the 1st quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 1,633 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 1,547 shares during the last quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. raised its position in Pearson by 3,131.8% in the 2nd quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 2,133 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 2,067 shares during the last quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group raised its position in Pearson by 308.3% in the 1st quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 2,356 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 1,779 shares during the last quarter. Global Trust Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Pearson in the 2nd quarter worth about $64,000. Finally, CWM LLC raised its position in Pearson by 43.6% in the 1st quarter. CWM LLC now owns 4,140 shares of the company’s stock worth $66,000 after buying an additional 1,256 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 2.14% 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.