Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO) Stake Boosted by US Bancorp DE

US Bancorp DE raised its holdings in Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO) by 3.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 57,506 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,106 shares during the quarter. US Bancorp DE’s holdings in Pearson were worth $927,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of PSO. QRG Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in Pearson by 44.9% in the 3rd quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 24,842 shares of the company’s stock valued at $337,000 after buying an additional 7,693 shares during the last quarter. Summit Global Investments bought a new stake in shares of Pearson in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $208,000. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. boosted its stake in Pearson by 61.1% during the third quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 153,338 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,081,000 after buying an additional 58,136 shares in the last quarter. Cable Hill Partners LLC bought a new stake in Pearson in the 3rd quarter valued at $225,000. Finally, Natixis Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Pearson by 20.4% in the 3rd quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 103,033 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,398,000 after buying an additional 17,434 shares in the last quarter. 2.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Pearson Stock Up 1.4 %

Shares of PSO opened at $16.85 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.92, a PEG ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.38. Pearson plc has a 52 week low of $11.78 and a 52 week high of $17.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 1.72 and a current ratio of 1.78. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $16.47 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $15.23.

Pearson Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 16th. Investors of record on Friday, March 21st will be given a $0.2092 dividend. This represents a yield of 1.7%. This is a positive change from Pearson’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.10. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 21st. Pearson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 43.62%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have weighed in on PSO. StockNews.com raised Pearson from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, March 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Pearson to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, National Bankshares set a $18.00 price objective on shares of Pearson in a report on Tuesday, February 18th.

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.