Aquatic Capital Management LLC Purchases New Shares in Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO)

Aquatic Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 31,989 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $516,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its stake in Pearson by 49.5% in the 4th quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 844,228 shares of the company’s stock worth $13,609,000 after purchasing an additional 279,369 shares in the last quarter. ABC Arbitrage SA acquired a new position in Pearson in the 4th quarter valued at $4,780,000. Mariner LLC lifted its position in shares of Pearson by 6.7% during the 4th quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 200,241 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,228,000 after acquiring an additional 12,515 shares during the period. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Pearson by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 154,460 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,490,000 after purchasing an additional 1,122 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cerity Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Pearson by 27.3% in the fourth quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 87,382 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,368,000 after purchasing an additional 18,742 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 2.14% of the company’s stock.

Pearson Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:PSO opened at $15.94 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $10.61 billion, a PE ratio of 16.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.42. Pearson plc has a 52 week low of $11.78 and a 52 week high of $17.90. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $16.09 and its 200-day moving average is $15.82. 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 business also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 16th. Investors of record on Friday, March 21st will be issued a $0.2092 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 21st. This is a boost from Pearson’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.10. This represents a yield of 1.7%. Pearson’s dividend payout ratio is presently 43.62%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

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.