Pearson, PLC (NYSE:PSO) Short Interest Down 17.1% in March

Pearson, PLC (NYSE:PSO) was the target of a significant drop in short interest during the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totaling 2,688,234 shares, a drop of 17.1% from the March 15th total of 3,241,684 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,265,379 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.1 days. Approximately 0.4% of the company’s shares are short sold.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on the company. Weiss Ratings lowered Pearson from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Wall Street Zen lowered Pearson from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 11th. Citigroup assumed coverage on Pearson in a research report on Monday, January 12th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Finally, Kepler Capital Markets raised Pearson from a “reduce” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Pearson presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy”.

Institutional Trading of Pearson

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of PSO. Morgan Stanley increased its position in shares of Pearson by 34.4% during the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 3,971,424 shares of the company’s stock worth $55,759,000 after acquiring an additional 1,015,739 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Pearson during the first quarter worth about $11,546,000. Optiver Holding B.V. purchased a new stake in shares of Pearson during the third quarter worth about $10,104,000. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd increased its position in shares of Pearson by 1,072.4% during the second quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 605,707 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,043,000 after acquiring an additional 554,044 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Pearson during the fourth quarter worth about $6,515,000. 2.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Pearson Stock Up 2.8%

NYSE:PSO traded up $0.40 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $14.60. The company had a trading volume of 1,570,455 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,177,743. Pearson has a 1 year low of $12.02 and a 1 year high of $16.67. The company has a current ratio of 2.00, a quick ratio of 1.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $12.95 and a 200-day simple moving average of $13.43.

Pearson Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 20th will be given a dividend of $0.2346 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 368.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 20th.

Pearson Company Profile

Pearson plc is a global education company headquartered in London, England, with significant operations in North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Tracing its roots back to 1844, Pearson evolved from its early beginnings into one of the world’s leading providers of educational content, digital learning tools, and assessment services. The company’s American subsidiary trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol PSO.

Pearson’s core business encompasses a broad portfolio of products and services for learners, educators, and institutions.