Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO) Declares Semi-annual Dividend of $0.21

Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO) announced a semi-annual dividend on Friday, February 28th, Wall Street Journal reports. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 21st will be given a dividend of 0.2092 per share on Friday, May 16th. This represents a yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 21st. This is a 120.2% increase from Pearson’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.10.

Pearson has raised its dividend payment by an average of 2.3% annually over the last three years. Pearson has a payout ratio of 44.2% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Research analysts expect Pearson to earn $0.83 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.42 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 50.6%.

Pearson Stock Performance

PSO opened at $16.43 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $10.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 1.78 and a quick ratio of 1.72. Pearson has a 1-year low of $11.78 and a 1-year high of $17.90. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $16.53 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $15.37.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on PSO shares. National Bankshares set a $18.00 target price on Pearson in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. StockNews.com raised Pearson from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, March 3rd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised Pearson to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th.

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.