Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. Reduces Holdings in Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO)

Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. lowered its stake in shares of Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO) by 2.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 27,218 shares of the company’s stock after selling 711 shares during the quarter. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Pearson were worth $439,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in Pearson by 19.3% during the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 64,545 shares of the company’s stock valued at $876,000 after purchasing an additional 10,424 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC increased its position in shares of Pearson by 20.7% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 275,310 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,736,000 after acquiring an additional 47,296 shares during the period. Townsquare Capital LLC purchased a new position in Pearson in the 3rd quarter worth $195,000. Glenmede Trust Co. NA acquired a new stake in Pearson during the 3rd quarter worth about $149,000. Finally, Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. grew its stake in Pearson by 55.8% during the 3rd quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 172,190 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,337,000 after purchasing an additional 61,666 shares during the last quarter. 2.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Pearson Stock Down 4.1 %

Pearson stock opened at $15.37 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $16.56 and its 200 day moving average price is $15.53. The company has a quick ratio of 1.72, a current ratio of 1.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The firm has a market cap of $10.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.38. Pearson plc has a 52 week low of $11.78 and a 52 week high of $17.90.

Pearson Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.2092 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 1.7%. This is a positive change from Pearson’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.10. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 21st. Pearson’s payout ratio is 43.62%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

PSO has been the subject of a number of research reports. StockNews.com raised Pearson from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, March 3rd. National Bankshares set a $18.00 price objective on shares of Pearson in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Pearson in a report on Wednesday, March 26th. They set a “buy” rating for the company.

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.