Pearson (NYSE:PSO) Shares Gap Down – What’s Next?

Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO)’s share price gapped down prior to trading on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $16.68, but opened at $15.91. Pearson shares last traded at $15.89, with a volume of 90,135 shares changing hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have commented on PSO shares. StockNews.com raised Pearson from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, March 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group raised Pearson to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, National Bankshares set a $18.00 target price on Pearson in a report on Tuesday, February 18th.

Pearson Stock Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $10.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.38. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $16.54 and a 200 day moving average of $15.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 1.72 and a current ratio of 1.78.

Pearson Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 16th. Investors of record on Friday, March 21st will be given a dividend of $0.2092 per share. 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 is 43.62%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Pearson

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in Pearson during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. QRG Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in 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 buying an additional 24,699 shares during the last quarter. ABC Arbitrage SA bought a new position in Pearson in the 4th quarter valued at $4,780,000. Bank of Montreal Can boosted its position in Pearson by 31.6% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 405,852 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,536,000 after buying an additional 97,443 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its position in Pearson by 228.0% in the 4th 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 last quarter. 2.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.