SBI Securities Co. Ltd. Purchases New Position in Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO)

SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 1,652 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $27,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Versant Capital Management Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Pearson in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new stake in Pearson during the 3rd quarter valued at $47,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Pearson by 228.0% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 4,044 shares of the company’s stock worth $65,000 after acquiring an additional 2,811 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in Pearson by 78.5% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 8,869 shares of the company’s stock worth $143,000 after acquiring an additional 3,901 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Caprock Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Pearson in the 3rd quarter worth about $146,000. 2.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Pearson Trading Down 0.9 %

Shares of PSO stock opened at $16.44 on Friday. Pearson plc has a 52-week low of $11.78 and a 52-week high of $17.90. The stock has a market cap of $10.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.48, a P/E/G 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. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $16.51 and a 200-day moving average of $15.29.

Pearson Increases Dividend

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

About Pearson

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.