Pearson, PLC (NYSE:PSO) Short Interest Update

Pearson, PLC (NYSE:PSO) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest in April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totaling 3,558,363 shares, a growth of 32.4% from the March 31st total of 2,688,234 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,071,066 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 3.3 days. Currently, 0.6% of the company’s stock are sold short.

Pearson Stock Up 2.4%

NYSE:PSO traded up $0.35 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $15.03. 206,448 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,146,806. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $13.43 and a two-hundred day moving average of $13.47. Pearson has a 12 month low of $12.02 and a 12 month high of $16.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 2.00 and a quick ratio of 1.94.

Pearson Announces Dividend

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

Institutional Trading of Pearson

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC raised its holdings in Pearson by 952.1% in the 3rd 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 acquired a new position in Pearson in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Pearson by 54.2% in the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 2,947 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 1,036 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in Pearson in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $42,000. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Pearson by 31.8% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 7,758 shares of the company’s stock valued at $110,000 after acquiring an additional 1,874 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 2.14% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

PSO has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded Pearson from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, April 19th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Pearson from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Citigroup assumed coverage on Pearson in a research note on Monday, January 12th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Finally, Kepler Capital Markets upgraded Pearson from a “reduce” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Pearson has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy”.

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.