Brokerages Set Pearson, PLC (NYSE:PSO) PT at $18.00

Shares of Pearson, PLC (NYSE:PSO) have been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the five brokerages that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $18.00.

A number of research firms have weighed in on PSO. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Pearson from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, September 20th. Morgan Stanley began coverage on shares of Pearson in a research report on Monday, October 20th. They set an “equal weight” rating for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Pearson in a research note on Monday, December 8th.

Pearson Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of PSO opened at $13.99 on Tuesday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $13.72 and a 200-day moving average of $14.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 2.24 and a current ratio of 2.31. Pearson has a 1 year low of $12.85 and a 1 year high of $17.90.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in PSO. Assetmark Inc. lifted its position in Pearson by 68.2% during the second quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 10,432 shares of the company’s stock valued at $156,000 after purchasing an additional 4,230 shares during the period. QRG Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in Pearson by 145.9% during the 2nd quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 157,281 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,348,000 after buying an additional 93,310 shares during the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers bought a new position in shares of Pearson during the 1st quarter valued at $401,000. Townsquare Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of Pearson by 203.8% in the 1st quarter. Townsquare Capital LLC now owns 50,297 shares of the company’s stock worth $805,000 after buying an additional 33,743 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Atria Investments Inc grew its holdings in shares of Pearson by 62.0% in the second quarter. Atria Investments Inc now owns 52,557 shares of the company’s stock worth $785,000 after acquiring an additional 20,118 shares during the period. 2.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.