Pearson plc (PSO) To Go Ex-Dividend on March 21st

Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO) announced a semi-annual dividend on Friday, February 28th, Wall Street Journal reports. Investors of record on Friday, March 21st will be paid 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 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. 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

NYSE PSO opened at $16.43 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $10.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.47, a P/E/G 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. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $16.53 and a two-hundred day moving average of $15.37. Pearson has a 1-year low of $11.78 and a 1-year high of $17.90.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities 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. The Goldman Sachs Group raised Pearson to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, StockNews.com raised Pearson from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, March 3rd.

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.