PSO NYSE Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing Financials FY2016–FY2025
Pearson Plc had $4.7B of revenue in fiscal 2025, up 3.8% on the year before. Over five years, revenue changed +1.6% a year on average.
Last close · Oct 30, 2026
$17.37
+$3.32 (+23.63%) past year
Hi! I read Pearson Plc’s latest annual report (fiscal 2025). Here is what stands out:
Good So-so Weak
Are sales growing?
+3.8%
Only a little. Sales grew 3.8% last year.
Does it make a profit?
9.4%
A little. It keeps 9.4% of every sale as profit.
Is debt under control?
2.1x
Keep an eye on it. Repaying its debt would take 2.1 years of operating profit.
How healthy are the accounts?
6 / 8
Mixed. It passes 6 of 8 health tests.
How is the share priced?
26.0x
One share costs 26.0 times its yearly profit per share.
Rules of thumb on reported numbers. A starting point, not a recommendation.
Is it selling more, and how much does it keep?
KIRA summarises the numbers
Pearson Plc had $4.7B of revenue in fiscal 2025, up 3.8% on the year before.
Over five years, revenue changed +1.6% a year on average.
Its operating margin was 14.2%, down 1.1 pts: of every 100 in sales, about 14 is left after running the business.
Revenue
Margins, % of revenue
In plain words: Revenue is all the money customers paid. The margins show how many cents of each dollar of sales are left over at each step: after making the product (gross), after running the business (operating) and after everything, tax included (net).
Loss periods are shown in red.
KIRA summarises the numbers
Pearson Plc made $441M of net profit in fiscal 2025.
Net income
Diluted EPS
In plain words: Net income is the profit left after every cost and tax. Earnings per share (EPS) splits that profit across every share, so it shows what one share earned.
How much cash comes in, and where does it go?
Cash from operations minus capital spending.
Free cash flow
Cash from operations vs capital spending
In plain words: Profit on paper is not the same as cash in the bank. Free cash flow is the cash left after paying to run and maintain the business: the money it can hand back to shareholders, save or invest.
KIRA summarises the numbers
Pearson Plc returned $211M to shareholders in fiscal 2025.
The diluted share count fell 3.5%.
Dividends and buybacks
Diluted shares outstanding (annual)
In plain words: Companies hand cash back in two ways: dividends (cash paid to shareholders) and buybacks (buying back their own shares, so each remaining share owns a bigger slice).
Open-market purchases and sales by officers, directors and 10% owners, from Form 4 filings. “Plan” marks trades under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan.
KIRA summarises the numbers
No open-market insider trades in the last 12 months.
Bought, 12 months
$0.0M
0 insiders
Sold, 12 months
$0.0M
0 insiders
Of sales under plans
—
$0.0M
No open-market insider trades in the last 12 months.
In plain words: Insiders are the people who run or own a big part of the company. Buying with their own money can signal confidence; selling often has personal reasons, like taxes or diversifying.
Can it carry its debts, and how well does it use its money?
Cash, debt and the ratios that show how comfortably Pearson Plc can carry it.
KIRA summarises the numbers
Pearson Plc owes $1.5B more than it holds in cash, about 2.1 years of operating profit.
Cash vs debt (incl. leases)
| Fiscal year end | FY21 | FY22 | FY23 | FY24 | FY25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash and short-term investments | $1.3B | $671M | $397M | $680M | $448M |
| Debt incl. finance leases | $1.9B | $1.5B | $1.5B | $1.8B | $2.0B |
| Net debt / EBITDA | 1.9x | 2.0x | 1.6x | 1.6x | 2.1x |
| Debt / equity | 0.3x | 0.3x | 0.3x | 0.4x | 0.4x |
| Interest coverage | 2.7x | 3.8x | 6.1x | 4.8x | 5.2x |
| Total assets | $9.9B | $8.8B | $8.6B | $8.6B | $8.7B |
| Total liabilities | $4.1B | $3.5B | $3.5B | $3.6B | $3.8B |
| Shareholders' equity | $5.8B | $5.3B | $5.1B | $5.1B | $4.9B |
| Net debt (− = net cash) | $624M | $808M | $1.1B | $1.2B | $1.5B |
In plain words: What the company owns and what it owes. More cash than debt is a cushion for bad times; a lot of debt leaves less room when business slows down.
After-tax operating income as a share of the money invested in the business: debt plus equity, minus cash.
KIRA summarises the numbers
Its return on capital was 7.6%: every 100 invested in the business earned about 8 in a year.
Return on capital, equity and assets (annual)
In plain words: How much profit the business makes on the money put into it. A higher percentage means each dollar invested works harder.
Nine pass/fail tests of profitability, funding and efficiency. 8–9 is strong, 0–2 weak.
KIRA summarises the numbers
Pearson Plc passes 6 of 8 financial health tests (Piotroski F-score).
| Test | FY21 | FY22 | FY23 | FY24 | FY25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F-score | 6 / 8 | 7 / 8 | 6 / 8 | 6 / 8 | 6 / 8 |
| Accruals ratio | −2.0% | −1.6% | −2.1% | −2.9% | −4.9% |
| Altman Z'' | — | — | — | — | — |
| Net income is positive | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cash from operations is positive | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Return on assets rose | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ |
| Cash from operations exceeds net income | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Debt fell relative to assets | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
| Current ratio rose | — | — | — | — | — |
| Share count didn't rise | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Gross margin rose | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Revenue rose relative to assets | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
In plain words: Nine yes/no tests of financial health, one point each. A green tick is a pass: 7 to 9 points is solid, 0 to 3 is weak.
Every number, year by year.
Amounts in USD. Hover a ratio’s name for its definition.
| Fiscal year | FY16 | FY17 | FY18 | FY19 | FY20 | FY21 | FY22 | FY23 | FY24 | FY25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Income statement | ||||||||||
| Revenue | $6.1B | $5.8B | $5.5B | $4.9B | $4.4B | $4.7B | $4.7B | $4.6B | $4.5B | $4.7B |
| Gross profit | $3.3B | $3.2B | $2.9B | $2.6B | $2.1B | $2.3B | $2.2B | $2.3B | $2.3B | $2.4B |
| Research and development | $31.0M | $18.0M | $18.7M | $16.6M | $14.1M | $16.5M | $12.3M | $9.9M | $7.7M | $10.5M |
| Operating income | −$3.4B | $581M | $737M | $351M | $527M | $252M | $334M | $619M | $691M | $668M |
| Interest expense | $99.9M | $127M | $121M | $107M | $137M | $93.5M | $87.5M | $101M | $143M | $129M |
| Pretax income | −$3.5B | $542M | $664M | $296M | $487M | $243M | $398M | $613M | $652M | $602M |
| Income tax | −$300M | $16.7M | −$123M | −$43.4M | $64.1M | −$1.4M | $97.3M | $140M | $95.8M | $159M |
| Net income | −$3.2B | $523M | $784M | $337M | $423M | $243M | $298M | $470M | $555M | $441M |
| Net income to common | −$3.2B | $523M | $784M | $337M | $423M | $243M | $298M | $470M | $555M | $441M |
| Diluted EPS | −$3.87 | $64.25 | $100.68 | $0.43 | $56.04 | $0.32 | $0.40 | $0.66 | $0.81 | $0.67 |
| Diluted shares | 0.81B | 0.81B | 0.78B | 0.78B | 0.76B | 0.76B | 0.74B | 0.72B | 0.68B | 0.66B |
| Cash flow | ||||||||||
| Cash from operations | $553M | $384M | $616M | $471M | $499M | $448M | $445M | $653M | $801M | $864M |
| Capital expenditure | $119M | $106M | $93.3M | $70.2M | $68.0M | $88.0M | — | — | — | — |
| Free cash flow | $435M | $278M | $523M | $401M | $431M | $360M | — | — | — | — |
| Depreciation and amortization | $3.7B | $214M | $151M | $208M | $103M | $70.2M | $69.0M | $59.7M | $52.4M | $55.3M |
| Stock-based compensation | $29.7M | $42.5M | $49.3M | $31.9M | $37.2M | $38.5M | $43.1M | $49.7M | $56.2M | $51.4M |
| Acquisitions | $20.2M | $14.2M | $6.7M | $57.4M | $7.7M | $75.7M | $281M | $213M | $49.8M | $220M |
| Share buybacks | $36.4M | — | — | $66.3M | $7.7M | — | — | — | — | — |
| Dividends paid | $572M | $409M | $181M | $188M | $187M | $205M | $192M | $191M | $199M | $211M |
| Dividends and buybacks | $609M | $409M | $181M | $254M | $195M | $205M | $192M | $191M | $199M | $211M |
| Balance sheet | ||||||||||
| Cash and short-term investments | $1.8B | $700M | $727M | $577M | $1.5B | $1.3B | $671M | $397M | $680M | $448M |
| Total debt | $3.0B | $1.5B | $922M | $2.2B | $2.3B | $1.9B | $1.5B | $1.5B | $1.8B | $2.0B |
| Current assets | $5.0B | $3.4B | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Current liabilities | $2.4B | $2.2B | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Inventory | $289M | $200M | $210M | $223M | $176M | $132M | $126M | $116M | $92.7M | $88.9M |
| Property and equipment, net | $422M | $380M | $846M | $816M | $703M | $493M | $301M | $276M | $271M | $283M |
| Goodwill | $2.9B | $2.7B | $2.7B | $2.8B | $2.9B | $2.9B | $3.0B | $3.1B | $3.1B | $3.3B |
| Total assets | $12.4B | $10.7B | $10.1B | $10.1B | $10.2B | $9.9B | $8.8B | $8.6B | $8.6B | $8.7B |
| Total liabilities | $7.0B | $5.2B | $4.3B | $4.4B | $4.5B | $4.1B | $3.5B | $3.5B | $3.6B | $3.8B |
| Shareholders' equity | $5.3B | $5.4B | $5.8B | $5.7B | $5.6B | $5.8B | $5.3B | $5.1B | $5.1B | $4.9B |
| Margins | ||||||||||
| Gross margin | 54.0% | 54.2% | 52.9% | 52.0% | 48.0% | 49.0% | 46.7% | 49.9% | 51.0% | 52.0% |
| Operating margin | −54.9% | 10.0% | 13.4% | 7.1% | 12.1% | 5.3% | 7.1% | 13.6% | 15.2% | 14.2% |
| EBITDA margin | 6.0% | 13.7% | 16.1% | 11.3% | 14.5% | 6.8% | 8.5% | 14.9% | 16.4% | 15.3% |
| Net margin | −51.3% | 9.0% | 14.2% | 6.8% | 9.7% | 5.2% | 6.3% | 10.3% | 12.2% | 9.4% |
| FCF margin | 7.1% | 4.8% | 9.5% | 8.1% | 9.9% | 7.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Returns | ||||||||||
| Return on capital | −40.4% | 9.1% | 12.3% | 4.8% | 7.2% | 3.9% | 4.1% | 7.8% | 9.5% | 7.6% |
| Return on capital employed | −33.6% | 6.9% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Return on equity | −59.0% | 9.7% | 14.0% | 5.9% | 7.5% | 4.3% | 5.4% | 9.1% | 11.0% | 8.8% |
| Return on assets | −25.5% | 4.5% | 7.5% | 3.3% | 4.2% | 2.4% | 3.2% | 5.4% | 6.5% | 5.1% |
| Return on tangible equity | −127.9% | 19.5% | 25.5% | 11.7% | 15.3% | 8.5% | 12.9% | 24.0% | 27.6% | 26.8% |
| Growth | ||||||||||
| Revenue growth | — | −5.4% | −5.2% | −10.3% | −11.8% | 8.3% | 0.3% | −3.5% | −0.6% | 3.8% |
| Net income growth | — | — | 50.0% | −57.0% | 25.6% | −42.5% | 22.4% | 57.6% | 18.0% | −20.4% |
| EPS growth | — | — | 56.7% | −99.6% | 12,817.5% | −99.4% | 25.3% | 63.1% | 23.9% | −17.7% |
| FCF growth | — | −36.0% | 88.0% | −23.4% | 7.5% | −16.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Share count change | — | −0.1% | −4.3% | −0.2% | −2.8% | 0.5% | −2.3% | −3.3% | −4.6% | −3.5% |
| Financial health | ||||||||||
| Net debt / EBITDA | 3.4x | 1.0x | 0.2x | 2.9x | 1.2x | 1.9x | 2.0x | 1.6x | 1.6x | 2.1x |
| Debt / equity | 0.6x | 0.3x | 0.2x | 0.4x | 0.4x | 0.3x | 0.3x | 0.3x | 0.4x | 0.4x |
| Interest coverage | −33.7x | 4.6x | 6.1x | 3.3x | 3.8x | 2.7x | 3.8x | 6.1x | 4.8x | 5.2x |
| Current ratio | 2.1x | 1.6x | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Quick ratio | 2.0x | 1.5x | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Capital allocation | ||||||||||
| Capex / revenue | 1.9% | 1.8% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 1.6% | 1.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Stock comp / revenue | 0.5% | 0.7% | 0.9% | 0.6% | 0.9% | 0.8% | 0.9% | 1.1% | 1.2% | 1.1% |
| Payouts / FCF | 140.1% | 147.2% | 34.7% | 63.4% | 45.2% | 56.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Quality scores | ||||||||||
| Piotroski F-score | — | 7.0 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 6.0 | 7.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| Altman Z'' | 0.6 | 2.5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Accruals ratio | −29.9% | 1.2% | 1.6% | −1.3% | −0.7% | −2.0% | −1.6% | −2.1% | −2.9% | −4.9% |
In plain words: Every number we have, year by year. Download it as a spreadsheet if you want to dig deeper.
The original documents every number on this page comes from.
Source: SEC EDGAR XBRL filings (CIK 0000938323). Data updated November 1, 2026. Quarterly fourth quarters are the full year minus the first nine months. Filed in GBP under IFRS and converted to US$: income and cash-flow lines at each period's average exchange rate, balance-sheet lines at the period-end rate. For information only — not investment advice. Check the original filings before relying on any figure.
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