Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO) Short Interest Down 14.1% in April

Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO) was the target of a significant drop in short interest in April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 830,100 shares, a drop of 14.1% from the March 31st total of 966,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 418,900 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.0 days. Approximately 0.1% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Pearson Price Performance

Shares of PSO stock opened at $12.38 on Monday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $12.65 and its 200-day moving average price is $12.19. Pearson has a 12 month low of $9.28 and a 12 month high of $13.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 1.73 and a quick ratio of 1.67.

Pearson Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a Semi-Annual dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 8th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 22nd will be paid a dividend of $0.1987 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 2.2%. This is a positive change from Pearson’s previous Semi-Annual dividend of $0.07. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 21st.

Institutional Trading of Pearson

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in PSO. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its stake in shares of Pearson by 169.5% in the fourth quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,382 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 1,498 shares during the period. Barometer Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Pearson in the fourth quarter worth approximately $119,000. National Wealth Management Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Pearson in the fourth quarter worth approximately $126,000. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Pearson in the third quarter worth approximately $140,000. Finally, Signaturefd LLC lifted its stake in shares of Pearson by 41.9% in the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 13,880 shares of the company’s stock worth $146,000 after acquiring an additional 4,098 shares during the period. 2.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, StockNews.com lowered Pearson from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 10th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,056.67.

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.