Kepler Capital Markets Downgrades Pearson (NYSE:PSO) to Strong Sell

Pearson (NYSE:PSO) was downgraded by research analysts at Kepler Capital Markets from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a note issued to investors on Monday, Zacks reports.

PSO has been the topic of several other research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded Pearson from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Pearson in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Pearson in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Pearson in a research note on Tuesday, September 1st. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Pearson from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold”.

Pearson Price Performance

Pearson stock opened at $15.69 on Monday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $16.54 and a 200-day moving average price of $15.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 2.00 and a quick ratio of 1.94. Pearson has a twelve month low of $12.02 and a twelve month high of $17.75.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Pearson

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in PSO. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Pearson by 16.2% in the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 71,670 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,147,000 after purchasing an additional 9,977 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC purchased a new stake in Pearson during the 1st quarter worth about $11,546,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Pearson by 10,532.1% in the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 25,836 shares of the company’s stock worth $414,000 after purchasing an additional 25,593 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its stake in Pearson by 2.1% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 2,144,680 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,336,000 after purchasing an additional 44,349 shares during the period. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its holdings in Pearson by 672.2% during the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 261,605 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,906,000 after buying an additional 227,725 shares in the last quarter. 2.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.