Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO) Short Interest Update

Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO) was the target of a large drop in short interest during the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 830,100 shares, a drop of 14.1% from the March 31st total of 966,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 418,900 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.0 days. Currently, 0.1% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com lowered Pearson from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 10th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Pearson currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,056.67.

Pearson Price Performance

Pearson stock opened at $12.39 on Tuesday. Pearson has a twelve month low of $9.28 and a twelve month high of $13.18. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $12.66 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $12.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 1.73 and a quick ratio of 1.67.

Pearson Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a Semi-Annual dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 8th. Investors of record on Friday, March 22nd will be paid a $0.1987 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 21st. This is an increase from Pearson’s previous Semi-Annual dividend of $0.07. This represents a yield of 2.2%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Pearson

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Janiczek Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Pearson by 23.9% during the first quarter. Janiczek Wealth Management LLC now owns 16,903 shares of the company’s stock worth $222,000 after acquiring an additional 3,265 shares during the period. Ballentine Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Pearson by 18.8% during the first quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 24,465 shares of the company’s stock worth $322,000 after purchasing an additional 3,871 shares during the period. Alaska Permanent Fund Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Pearson in the first quarter valued at approximately $312,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Pearson by 6.8% in the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 2,239,694 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,526,000 after buying an additional 142,801 shares during the period. Finally, Syon Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Pearson during the fourth quarter worth approximately $288,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.