Pearson (NYSE:PSO) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Pearson (NYSE:PSO) was upgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday.

PSO has been the topic of several other reports. BNP Paribas upgraded Pearson from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, June 27th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Pearson in a report on Monday, August 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $18.00.

Pearson Trading Down 0.9%

Shares of PSO stock opened at $14.16 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $9.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.06, a PEG ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 0.57. Pearson has a twelve month low of $13.27 and a twelve month high of $17.90. The company has a current ratio of 2.31, a quick ratio of 2.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $14.52 and its 200-day moving average price is $15.41.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PSO. Wells Fargo & Company MN increased its stake in shares of Pearson by 45.6% during the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 8,418 shares of the company’s stock valued at $136,000 after acquiring an additional 2,637 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in Pearson in the 4th quarter worth approximately $225,000. First Trust Advisors LP acquired a new stake in shares of Pearson during the fourth quarter worth approximately $354,000. Northern Trust Corp lifted its stake in Pearson by 69.0% during the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 705,622 shares of the company’s stock worth $11,375,000 after purchasing an additional 288,114 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC lifted its stake in Pearson by 145.0% during the fourth quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 56,540 shares of the company’s stock worth $911,000 after purchasing an additional 33,467 shares during the last quarter. 2.14% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.