Pearson plc (PSON) - Financial and Strategic SWOT Analysis Review

Summary

Pearson plc (Pearson) is an international media and education company. Pearson, along with its subsidiaries, operates principally in the business information, education and consumer publishing markets. The company provides its content through a wide range of channels including newspapers, books, and online services, under brands that include Financial Times and Pearson. It also offers services as well as content from test administration and processing to teacher development and school software. The company, under the brand name of Penguin and few others, offers a wide range of adult and children’s fiction and non-fiction books. It principally operates in the regions of North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and few other global regions. The company is headquartered in London, the UK.

This comprehensive SWOT profile of Pearson plc provides you an in-depth strategic SWOT analysis of the company’s businesses and operations. The profile has been compiled by GlobalData to bring to you a clear and an unbiased view of the company’s key strengths and weaknesses and the potential opportunities and threats. The profile helps you formulate strategies that augment your business by enabling you to understand your partners, customers and competitors better.

The profile contains critical company information including:

- Business description – A detailed description of the company’s operations and business divisions.
- Corporate strategy – Analyst’s summarization of the company’s business strategy.
- SWOT Analysis – A detailed analysis of the company’s strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats.
- Company history – Progression of key events associated with the company.
- Major products and services – A list of major products, services and brands of the company.
- Key competitors – A list of key competitors to the company.
- Key employees – A list of the key executives of the company.
- Executive biographies – A brief summary of the executives’ employment history.
- Key operational heads – A list of personnel heading key departments/functions.
- Important locations and subsidiaries – A list and contact details of key locations and subsidiaries of the company.
- Detailed financial ratios for the past five years – The latest financial ratios derived from the annual financial statements published by the company with 5 years history.
- Interim ratios for the last five interim periods – The latest financial ratios derived from the quarterly/semi-annual financial statements published by the company for 5 interims history.

Note: Some sections may be missing if data is unavailable for the company

Key benefits of buying this profile include:

You get detailed information about the company and its operations to identify potential customers and suppliers.
- The profile analyzes the company’s business structure, operations, major products and services, prospects, locations and subsidiaries, key executives and their biographies and key competitors.

Understand and respond to your competitors’ business structure and strategies, and capitalize on their weaknesses. Stay up to date on the major developments affecting the company.
- The company’s core strengths and weaknesses and areas of development or decline are analyzed and presented in the profile objectively. Recent developments in the company covered in the profile help you track important events.

Equip yourself with information that enables you to sharpen your strategies and transform your operations profitably.
- Opportunities that the company can explore and exploit are sized up and its growth potential assessed in the profile. Competitive and/or technological threats are highlighted.

Scout for potential investments and acquisition targets, with detailed insight into the companies’ strategic, financial and operational performance.
- Financial ratio presented for major public companies in the profile include the revenue trends, profitability, growth, margins and returns, liquidity and leverage, financial position and efficiency ratios.

Gain key insights into the company for academic or business research.
- Key elements such as SWOT analysis, corporate strategy and financial ratios and charts are incorporated in the profile to assist your academic or business research needs.

List of Tables 4
List of Figures 4
Section 1 - About the Company 5
Pearson plc - Key Facts 5
Pearson plc - Key Employees 6
Pearson plc - Key Employee Biographies 7
Pearson plc - Major Products and Services 9
Pearson plc - History 11
Pearson plc - Company Statement 14
Pearson plc - Locations And Subsidiaries 16
Head Office 16
Other Locations & Subsidiaries 16
Section 2 – Company Analysis 18
Pearson plc - Business Description 18
Pearson plc - Corporate Strategy 19
Pearson plc - SWOT Analysis 20
SWOT Analysis - Overview 20
Pearson plc - Strengths 20
Strength - Strong Top Line and Bottom Line Growth 20
Strength - Brand Recognition 20
Strength - Sound Liquidity Position 20
Pearson plc - Weaknesses 21
Weakness - Rising Cost 21
Pearson plc - Opportunities 21
Opportunity - Strategic Acquisitions and Alliances 21
Opportunity - New Service Launches 21
Opportunity - Rise in Demand for Higher Education 21
Opportunity - Advertising Industry Outlook Beyond 2009 22
Opportunity - Trends in Content Delivery 22
Pearson plc - Threats 22
Threat - Highly Competitive Market 22
Threat - Switching Consumer Preference 22
Threat - Integration of Acquisitions 22
Pearson plc - Key Competitors 23
Section 3 – Company Financial Ratios 24
Financial Ratios - Capital Market Ratios 24
Financial Ratios - Annual Ratios 24
Performance Chart 26
Financial Performance 26
Financial Ratios - Interim Ratios 27
Financial Ratios - Ratio Charts 28
Pearson plc, Recent Deals Summary 29
Section 4 – Appendix 30
Methodology 30
Ratio Definitions 30
About GlobalData 34
Contact Us 34
Disclaimer 34

List of Tables

Pearson plc, Key Facts 5
Pearson plc, Key Employees 6
Pearson plc, Key Employee Biographies 7
Pearson plc, Major Products and Services 9
Pearson plc, History 11
Pearson plc, Other Locations 16
Pearson plc, Subsidiaries 16
Pearson plc, Key Competitors 23
Pearson plc, Ratios based on current share price 24
Pearson plc, Annual Ratios 24
Pearson plc, Interim Ratios 27
Pearson plc, Recent Deals Summary 29
Currency Codes 30
Capital Market Ratios 30
Equity Ratios 31
Profitability Ratios 31
Cost Ratios 32
Liquidity Ratios 32
Leverage Ratios 33
Efficiency Ratios 33

List of Figures

Pearson plc, Performance Chart (2006 - 2010) 26
Pearson plc, Ratio Charts 28