Pearson (LON:PSON) Share Price Crosses Above 200-Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

Pearson plc (LON:PSON)’s share price crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of GBX 1,207.15 ($15.63) and traded as high as GBX 1,220.14 ($15.80). Pearson shares last traded at GBX 1,216 ($15.74), with a volume of 342,507,469 shares.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Pearson from GBX 1,400 ($18.13) to GBX 1,450 ($18.77) and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th.

Pearson Stock Performance

The stock has a 50-day moving average price of GBX 1,302.25 and a 200 day moving average price of GBX 1,208.50. The company has a quick ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 1.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 42.49. The firm has a market capitalization of £8.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.72, a P/E/G ratio of 0.83 and a beta of 0.31.

Pearson (LON:PSON) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 28th. The company reported GBX 62.10 ($0.80) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Pearson had a net margin of 9.83% and a return on equity of 8.98%.

Pearson Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 9th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 20th will be issued a dividend of GBX 16.60 ($0.21) per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 20th. This represents a yield of 1.33%. This is a boost from Pearson’s previous dividend of $7.40. Pearson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 44.58%.

Insider Activity at Pearson

In related news, insider Omar Abbosh sold 77,989 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 1,296 ($16.78), for a total value of £1,010,737.44 ($1,308,567.37). Insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

Pearson Company Profile

At Pearson, our purpose is simple: to add life to a lifetime of learning. We believe that every learning opportunity is a chance for a personal breakthrough. That’s why our c.20,000 Pearson employees are committed to creating vibrant and enriching learning experiences designed for real-life impact. We are the world’s leading learning company, serving customers in c.200 countries with digital content, assessments, qualifications, and data.