Pearson (NYSE:PSO) Reaches New 1-Year Low – Here’s What Happened

Pearson, PLC (NYSE:PSO) reached a new 52-week low during trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $12.56 and last traded at $12.5250, with a volume of 112648 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $12.91.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on PSO shares. Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of Pearson in a report on Monday, October 20th. They issued an “equal weight” rating for the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Pearson from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, September 20th. Citigroup began coverage on Pearson in a research report on Monday. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded Pearson from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Pearson presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $18.00.

Pearson Stock Performance

The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $13.60 and its 200 day moving average price is $14.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 2.24 and a current ratio of 2.31.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Pearson

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Millennium Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Pearson during the 1st quarter worth $11,546,000. Optiver Holding B.V. purchased a new stake in Pearson in the third quarter worth about $10,104,000. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd lifted its stake in Pearson by 1,072.4% in the second quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 605,707 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,043,000 after acquiring an additional 554,044 shares during the period. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC grew its holdings in Pearson by 109.6% during the 2nd quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC now owns 445,228 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,647,000 after acquiring an additional 232,788 shares in the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its position 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 purchasing an additional 227,725 shares during the period. 2.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Pearson

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.