Pearson (NYSE:PSO) Shares Gap Down – Should You Sell?

Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO) shares gapped down prior to trading on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $15.91, but opened at $15.51. Pearson shares last traded at $15.57, with a volume of 88,980 shares traded.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded Pearson from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, November 15th.

Pearson Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 1.72, a current ratio of 1.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $15.76 and a 200 day moving average price of $14.31.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Pearson

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its holdings in shares of Pearson by 68.4% in the 2nd quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 421,620 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,262,000 after acquiring an additional 171,220 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can grew its holdings in shares of Pearson by 31.6% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 405,852 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,536,000 after acquiring an additional 97,443 shares during the last quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its holdings in shares of Pearson by 64.9% in the 2nd quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 310,054 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,868,000 after acquiring an additional 122,054 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Pearson by 66.3% in the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 298,063 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,720,000 after acquiring an additional 118,822 shares during the last quarter. Finally, FMR LLC grew its holdings in shares of Pearson by 20.7% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 275,310 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,736,000 after acquiring an additional 47,296 shares during the last quarter. 2.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Pearson

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.