Pearson (LON:PSON) Shares Pass Above 200-Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

Pearson plc (LON:PSON) passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 200-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 trading hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Pearson Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of £8.21 billion, a PE ratio of 23.57, a P/E/G ratio of 0.83 and a beta of 0.31. The firm’s 50-day moving average is GBX 1,304.50 and its 200 day moving average is GBX 1,207.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 42.49, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a current ratio of 1.78.

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

Pearson Increases Dividend

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

Insider Transactions at Pearson

In other Pearson news, insider Omar Abbosh sold 77,989 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on 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). Corporate insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

About Pearson

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.