Park Avenue Securities LLC Makes New $186,000 Investment in Pearson, PLC $PSO

Park Avenue Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Pearson, PLC (NYSE:PSO) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 12,456 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $186,000.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in PSO. Millennium Management LLC bought a new stake in Pearson during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $11,546,000. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC acquired a new stake in Pearson during the 1st quarter valued at $3,401,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in Pearson by 1,747.9% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 163,894 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,624,000 after buying an additional 155,025 shares during the last quarter. Dorsey Wright & Associates bought a new position in Pearson in the 1st quarter valued at $2,042,000. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Pearson by 146.3% in the 1st quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 151,413 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,424,000 after purchasing an additional 89,949 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 2.14% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have weighed in on PSO shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Pearson in a report on Monday, August 4th. Wall Street Zen lowered Pearson from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, September 20th. Finally, BNP Paribas upgraded Pearson from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, June 27th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $18.00.

Pearson Stock Performance

PSO stock opened at $14.23 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $14.37 and a 200-day moving average price of $15.04. Pearson, PLC has a 1-year low of $13.27 and a 1-year 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 firm has a market cap of $9.20 billion, a PE ratio of 15.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.55.

Pearson Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 22nd. Investors of record on Friday, August 15th were given a $0.0892 dividend. This represents a yield of 210.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 15th. Pearson’s payout ratio is presently 22.34%.

Pearson 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.