Pearson (LON:PSON) Share Price Passes Above 200 Day Moving Average of $971.41

Pearson plc (LON:PSON)’s share price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 971.41 ($12.20) and traded as high as GBX 988 ($12.41). Pearson shares last traded at GBX 987.40 ($12.40), with a volume of 1,824,346 shares changing hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on PSON shares. Barclays cut their target price on shares of Pearson from GBX 975 ($12.25) to GBX 965 ($12.12) and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. Shore Capital reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Pearson in a report on Friday, April 26th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Pearson from GBX 1,200 ($15.07) to GBX 1,220 ($15.32) and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 20th.

Pearson Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 30.19, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a current ratio of 1.73. The business’s 50-day moving average is GBX 1,005.05 and its 200-day moving average is GBX 971.41. The company has a market capitalization of £6.69 billion, a PE ratio of 1,863.02, a PEG ratio of 0.83 and a beta of 0.31.

Pearson Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 21st were given a GBX 15.70 ($0.20) dividend. This is a boost from Pearson’s previous dividend of $7.00. This represents a dividend yield of 1.63%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 21st. Pearson’s payout ratio is currently 4,339.62%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Graeme Pitkethly purchased 210 shares of Pearson stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 28th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of GBX 1,037 ($13.03) per share, for a total transaction of £2,177.70 ($2,735.46). 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.