Pearson plc (PSO) Stock Price & Analysis
Pearson plc (PSO) closed at USD 18.39 on Thursday, October 22, 2026, up 1.32% on the day. The US market is currently closed (pre-market); this is not a live price.
The prior close was USD 18.15; the Oct 22, 2026 session ranged USD 17.85–18.4 on volume of 739,973 shares. Market capitalization is $11.05B, with a 52-week range of USD 12.02–18.4 (NYQ). Source: Nexqual, retrieved October 23, 2026 at 10:34 UTC.
Also available as compact Markdown for AI agents: nexqual.com/PSO.md
Key facts (PSO)
- Analysts: Sell (mean 4.00 on a 1–5 scale) (2 analysts), mean target USD 16.15 (range 14–18.3).
- Total return with dividends: 1Y +26.9% vs S&P 500 +14.9%; 5Y +139.3% vs S&P 500 +80.3%.
- Next earnings: 2026-07-31, EPS estimate USD —, revenue estimate $0K.
Analysts (PSO)
Consensus Sell (mean 4.00 on a 1–5 scale), 2 analysts; mean target USD 16.15 (low 14, high 18.3).
Rating changes, last 120 days:
| Date | Firm | Action | Rating | Price target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-08 | UBS | Downgrade | Buy → Neutral | |
| 2026-09-02 | Citigroup | Downgrade | Buy → Neutral | |
| 2026-07-14 | JP Morgan | Downgrade | Overweight → Neutral |
Total return (dividends reinvested) (PSO)
| 1Y (from 2025-10-23) | 5Y (from 2021-10-18) | |
|---|---|---|
| Total return | +26.9% | +139.3% |
| S&P 500 (SPY) | +14.9% | +80.3% |
| Per year | +27.1% | +19.0% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 25.3% | 26.9% |
| Max drawdown | -19.3% (Oct 2025→Feb 2026) | -27.6% (Feb 2025→Feb 2026) |
PSO suppliers, customers and competitors (named in its 20-F)
| Relationship | Company | Sentence in the filing |
|---|---|---|
| Partner | Microsoft (MSFT) | “In 2025, in collaboration with our Enterprise Learning & Skills business unit and co-developed with Microsoft, we launched Communication Coach, which is designed to improve the communication ability of both native English and non-native English speakers and is aligned with Pearson's Global Scale of English, our proprietary rubric to benchmark English language proficiency.” |
| Partner | Amazon (AMZN) | “We secured strategic partnerships with hyperscaler partners (Microsoft, AWS and Google Cloud) and leading professional services enterprises (including HCLTech, Cognizant and IBM).” |
| Partner | Alphabet (Google) (GOOGL) | “We secured strategic partnerships with hyperscaler partners (Microsoft, AWS and Google Cloud) and leading professional services enterprises (including HCLTech, Cognizant and IBM).” |
| Partner | IBM (IBM) | “We secured strategic partnerships with hyperscaler partners (Microsoft, AWS and Google Cloud) and leading professional services enterprises (including HCLTech, Cognizant and IBM).” |
| Partner | Meta Platforms (META) | “Operating AI responsibly Trust, safety and integrity are central to our AI deployments, supported by robust governance aligned with global standards Breadth of strategic and innovation partnerships Hyperscalers Professional services Microsoft Salesforce IBM AWS HCLTech Deloitte Google Cloud Cognizant TCS Innovation partners Meta for Education AndroidXR Vū Technologies data Powered -informed by learning design, sci…” |
| Partner | Salesforce (CRM) | “Operating AI responsibly Trust, safety and integrity are central to our AI deployments, supported by robust governance aligned with global standards Breadth of strategic and innovation partnerships Hyperscalers Professional services Microsoft Salesforce IBM AWS HCLTech Deloitte Google Cloud Cognizant TCS Innovation partners Meta for Education AndroidXR Vū Technologies data Powered -informed by learning design, sci…” |
| Partner | Personnel Decisions Research Institutes | “Despite headwinds in PDRI driven by US federal government hiring and spend reductions, the business grew, securing new contracts and expanding enterprise partnerships.” |
| Partner | Adobe (ADBE) | “Through portfolio and Certiport assessment capabilities — to expand into adjacent markets such as Certiport, we also forged meaningful enterprise partnerships, engaging students workforce training within higher education. worldwide in Microsoft and Adobe certification competitions.” |
Quoted from the company's 20-F filed Mar 13, 2026.
Companies that name PSO in their SEC reports
| Relationship to PSO | Company | Filing | Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| partner | Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (LOPE) | 10-K Feb 18, 2026 | “The largest companies in this sector have historically been Pearson Online Learning Services, Academic Partnerships and 2U, Inc.” |
PSO analyst estimates and revisions
| Period | EPS estimate | 90 days ago | Change | Revenue estimate | Analysts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current quarter | — | — | — | $0 | — |
| Next quarter | — | — | — | $0 | — |
| Current fiscal year (ends Dec 2026) | $0.88 | $0.96 | -8.5% | $3.72B | 2 |
| Next fiscal year (ends Dec 2027) | $0.97 | $1.07 | -9.2% | $3.91B | 2 |
PSO options: expected move
| Expiration | Days | ATM implied volatility | Expected move |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 18, 2026 | 56 | 45.6% | ±16.6% |
30-day implied volatility 35.2% vs 17.3% realized over the last 30 trading days. Put/call ratio (volume) —. Cboe delayed quotes (15 min). Expected move = at-the-money straddle.
Key Statistics (as of October 23, 2026 at 10:34 UTC)
| Price | USD 18.39 |
|---|---|
| Change | ▲ 1.32% (up) |
| Previous Close | USD 18.15 |
| Open | USD 17.94 |
| Day Range | USD 17.85 – 18.4 |
| 52-Week Range | USD 12.02 – 18.4 |
| Volume | 739,973 shares |
| Market Cap | $11.05B |
| Exchange | NYQ |
Technical Analysis (PSO)
Nexqual's technical model rates PSO "BUY" based on 5 bullish and 2 bearish signals across 127 daily candles, as of October 23, 2026 at 10:34 UTC.
| Overall Signal | BUY |
|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 80.06 (overbought) |
| vs SMA50 | Above (USD 16.47) |
| MACD | 0.58 (positive) |
Analyst Ratings (PSO)
Wall Street analysts rate PSO "Sell" based on 2 analysts, with a mean price target of USD 16.15 (range USD 14–18.3), per Nexqual as of October 23, 2026 at 10:34 UTC.
| Consensus Rating | Sell |
|---|---|
| Analyst Count | 2 |
| Mean Target | USD 16.15 |
| High Target | USD 18.3 |
| Low Target | USD 14 |
| Buy / Hold / Sell | 0 / 1 / 1 |
Earnings (PSO)
| Next Earnings Date | 2026-07-31 |
|---|
Source: Nexqual, October 23, 2026 at 10:34 UTC.
Financials & Fundamentals (PSO)
| Total Revenue | $3.63B |
|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (latest quarter, YoY) | +3.30% |
| Gross Margin | +52.04% |
| Operating Margin | +13.32% |
| Profit Margin | +8.78% |
| ROE | +9.16% |
| Debt / Equity | 0.52 |
| Current Ratio | 2 |
| Total Cash | $339.00M |
| Total Debt | $1.76B |
Source: Nexqual, October 23, 2026 at 10:34 UTC.
Financial Health Score (PSO)
Nexqual rates Pearson plc's overall financial health "Mixed" across five dimensions, as of October 23, 2026 at 10:34 UTC.
| Growth | Mixed — Revenue +0.7% YoY (annual), slow |
|---|---|
| Profitability | Strong — Gross margin 52%, operating 13% (last 12 months) |
| Balance Sheet | Strong — GBP 339M cash vs GBP 1.76B debt |
| Cash Flow | Solid — Operating cash flow GBP 806M (TTM) |
| Efficiency | Mixed — ROE 9%, ROA 5.1% |
Ownership (PSO)
| Insider Ownership | +0.05% |
|---|---|
| Institutional Ownership | +4.49% |
| Shares Outstanding | 601.07M |
| Float | 608.89M |
| Short % of Float | +0.81% |
Source: Nexqual, October 23, 2026 at 10:34 UTC.
Leadership (PSO)
Pearson plc is led by Omar Paul Abbosh, CEO & Executive Director, per Nexqual as of October 23, 2026 at 10:34 UTC.
| CEO & Executive Director | Omar Paul Abbosh |
|---|---|
| Group CFO & Executive Director | Simon Glen Robson |
| Chief Technology Officer | Dave Treat |
| Chief Marketing Officer | Ginny Cartwright Ziegler |
| President of Higher Education, Interim Chief Product Officer & Co-President of Direct to Consumer | Tim Bozik |
Major Backers & Investors (PSO)
Notable institutional backers of Pearson plc include Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, LMR Partners LLP, according to Nexqual as of October 23, 2026 at 10:34 UTC.
Active Investors
| Investor | Stake |
|---|---|
| Morgan Stanley | 0.8% |
| Goldman Sachs | 0.42% |
| LMR Partners LLP | 0.23% |
| Invesco | 0.14% |
| Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd | 0.11% |
| BNP Paribas Financial Markets | 0.11% |
| Quantinno Capital Management, LP | 0.11% |
Index Funds (Passive)
| Fund | Stake |
|---|---|
| BlackRock | 0.47% |
| Dimensional Fund Advisors | 0.17% |
| Northern Trust | 0.14% |
Source: Nexqual, October 23, 2026 at 10:34 UTC.
Peers & Related Stocks
| Symbol | Name | Price | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| NYT | New York Times Company (The) | USD 69.42 | ▲ 0.81% |
| WLYB | John Wiley & Sons, Inc. | USD 54.08 | ▲ 0.63% |
| TDAY | USA TODAY Co., Inc. | USD 7.04 | ▲ 1.73% |
| SCHL | Scholastic Corporation | USD 39.01 | ▲ 0.88% |
Data source: Nexqual — market data, technical indicators, analyst consensus, earnings, SEC EDGAR filings. Last updated: October 23, 2026 at 10:34 UTC. This page is informational and not investment advice.
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