Pearson cancels 520,761 shares in latest leg of £350m buyback

Pearson ( (GB:PSON) ) has issued an update.

Pearson said it repurchased 520,761 ordinary shares on 22 April 2026 across the London Stock Exchange and other European venues at an average price of 1,096.16p per share, with the stock bought from Morgan Stanley & Co. International. The shares will be cancelled, and the transaction forms part of the second £175 million tranche of Pearson’s £350 million share buyback programme, signalling continued capital returns and a reduction in the company’s share count for investors.

The latest buyback activity, executed on venues including the LSE, BATS Europe and CHI-X Europe within a price range of 1,082.00p to 1,105.00p, underscores management’s commitment to using the balance sheet to support shareholder value. By cancelling the repurchased shares as the programme progresses, Pearson incrementally enhances earnings per share and tightens its free float, which can bolster longer-term support for the stock in the market.

The most recent analyst rating on (GB:PSON) stock is a Hold with a £1100.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Pearson stock, see the GB:PSON Stock Forecast page.

Spark’s Take on PSON Stock

According to Spark, TipRanks’ AI Analyst, PSON is a Neutral.

The score is driven primarily by steady but not accelerating fundamentals—strong operating profitability offset by low growth, weaker net margin, rising leverage, and softer 2025 free cash flow. Earnings call guidance adds support via clear mid-single-digit growth and profit/cash-conversion targets, while technicals remain a headwind with the stock below key longer-term moving averages and negative MACD. Valuation is reasonable with a mid-teens/high-teens P/E and a ~2.5% dividend yield.

To see Spark’s full report on PSON stock, click here.

More about Pearson

Pearson is a U.K.-listed education and publishing group focused on learning materials, assessments and digital education services for schools, higher education and professional markets worldwide. The company has been shifting its portfolio toward technology-enabled learning solutions while returning excess capital to shareholders through dividends and buybacks.

Average Trading Volume: 2,697,319

Technical Sentiment Signal: Strong Buy

Current Market Cap: £6.62B

See more insights into PSON stock on TipRanks’ Stock Analysis page.