First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. Purchases 6,378 Shares of Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO)

First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. lifted its position in shares of Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO) by 35.5% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 24,334 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 6,378 shares during the period. First Trust Direct Indexing L.P.’s holdings in Pearson were worth $299,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in PSO. National Wealth Management Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Pearson during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $126,000. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Pearson during the third quarter valued at $140,000. Signaturefd LLC raised its stake in Pearson by 41.9% during the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 13,880 shares of the company’s stock valued at $146,000 after buying an additional 4,098 shares during the last quarter. Crane Advisory LLC bought a new stake in Pearson in the fourth quarter worth $170,000. Finally, QRG Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Pearson in the third quarter worth $177,000. 2.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Pearson Price Performance

Shares of PSO opened at $12.50 on Wednesday. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $12.69 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $12.25. Pearson plc has a 12 month low of $9.77 and a 12 month high of $13.18. The company has a current ratio of 1.73, a quick ratio of 1.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27.

Pearson Increases Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Pearson from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 3rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,056.67.

Pearson Company 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.