Pearson, PLC (NYSE:PSO) Short Interest Up 56.3% in August

Pearson, PLC (NYSE:PSO) saw a significant growth in short interest during the month of August. As of August 14th, there was short interest totaling 4,153,239 shares, a growth of 56.3% from the July 30th total of 2,657,247 shares. Currently, 0.7% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 804,860 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 5.2 days.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently weighed in on PSO. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Pearson in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered shares of Pearson from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Pearson in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Citigroup downgraded shares of Pearson from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Pearson from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Pearson currently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

Pearson Price Performance

NYSE PSO opened at $16.15 on Thursday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $16.51 and its 200-day simple moving average is $14.92. Pearson has a 52 week low of $12.02 and a 52 week high of $17.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 2.00 and a quick ratio of 1.94.

Pearson Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 21st. Investors of record on Friday, August 14th will be paid a dividend of $0.1103 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This represents a yield of 137.0%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Pearson

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Pearson by 952.1% during the third quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 1,757 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 1,590 shares in the last quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Pearson during the fourth quarter worth about $35,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Pearson by 54.2% in the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 2,947 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 1,036 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Pearson in the fourth quarter worth about $42,000. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada boosted its holdings in Pearson by 86.5% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 5,613 shares of the company’s stock valued at $74,000 after purchasing an additional 2,604 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 2.14% of the company’s stock.

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.