HighTower Advisors LLC Purchases 3,710 Shares of Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO)

HighTower Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO) by 6.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 59,690 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,710 shares during the quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC’s holdings in Pearson were worth $962,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Versant Capital Management Inc purchased a new position in shares of Pearson in the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Pearson during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new stake in shares of Pearson during the 3rd quarter valued at $47,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Pearson by 228.0% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 4,044 shares of the company’s stock worth $65,000 after purchasing an additional 2,811 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in Pearson by 78.5% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 8,869 shares of the company’s stock worth $143,000 after purchasing an additional 3,901 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 2.14% of the company’s stock.

Pearson Trading Up 0.1 %

Shares of PSO stock opened at $15.91 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $16.54 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $15.44. Pearson plc has a 52-week low of $11.78 and a 52-week high of $17.90. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.60 billion, a PE ratio of 16.92, a PEG ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 1.72 and a current ratio of 1.78.

Pearson Increases Dividend

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have commented on PSO shares. StockNews.com upgraded Pearson from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, March 3rd. National Bankshares set a $18.00 target price on shares of Pearson in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of Pearson in a report on Wednesday. They set a “buy” rating on the stock.

Pearson 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.