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

Pearson plc (LON:PSON)’s stock price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 1,200.88 ($15.61) and traded as high as GBX 1,266.50 ($16.47). Pearson shares last traded at GBX 1,261.39 ($16.40), with a volume of 1,101,889 shares traded.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Pearson from GBX 1,400 ($18.20) to GBX 1,450 ($18.85) and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th.

Pearson Price Performance

The firm has a 50 day moving average price of GBX 1,312.57 and a 200 day moving average price of GBX 1,201.26. The stock has a market capitalization of £8.58 billion, a PE ratio of 24.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.83 and a beta of 0.31. The company has a current ratio of 1.78, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 42.49.

Pearson (LON:PSON) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 28th. The company reported GBX 62.10 ($0.81) EPS for the quarter. Pearson had a return on equity of 8.98% and a net margin of 9.83%.

Pearson Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared 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 ($0.22) per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 20th. This represents a yield of 1.33%. This is an increase from Pearson’s previous dividend of $7.40. Pearson’s payout ratio is currently 44.58%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Omar Abbosh sold 77,989 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 1,296 ($16.85), for a total transaction of £1,010,737.44 ($1,314,011.23). Company 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.