Pearson

PSO

Market cap $8.28B

Pearson plc (PSO) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript

CEO of British education provider Pearson, Omar Abbosh, says it's very hard to predict the types of jobs that will exist in the future, while it is easy to see the ones which will disappear. He argues that it's up to leaders to manage the transition and not simply accept an 'AI job apocalypse'.

Confident in outlook, guiding to mid-single digit sales growth for 2026 and beyond. Strong financial position, with £350m share buyback well underway.

LONDON, Feb. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Pearson (FTSE: PSON.L) today announced the appointment of Simon Robson as Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO), succeeding Sally Johnson, who has informed the Board she will leave the company to take up the role of CFO at a large privately owned business. Pearson enters 2026 with momentum and confidence in delivering mid-single digit underlying sales growth in 2026, along with the medium term outlook outlined in our full year results on 27 February 2026.

Pearson PLC (LSE:PSON) will set out its full-year 2025 results on February 26, with Citi telling clients that guidance for 2026, artificial intelligence positioning and the Enterprise opportunity are likely to be the key areas of focus. Shares have de-rated by about 13% year to date and by about 30% since 2025, Citi said, reflecting what it called an escalation in AI concerns.

Pairing AI with skilling could add up to $6.6T to the U.S. economy by 2034 and deliver the return on investment businesses want DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- New research from Pearson (FTSE: PSON.L), the world's lifelong learning company, reveals that the true economic potential of AI will only be realized if employers pair technology investment with continuous learning. The report,  "Mind the Learning Gap: The Missing Link in AI's Productivity Promise" , released today at the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting, finds that augmenting jobs with AI - rather than simply replacing workers – and ensuring employees have the skills needed to work effectively with AI could add between $4.8 trillion and $6.6 trillion to the US economy by 2034.

Shares in Pearson PLC (LSE:PSON) fell 8% to 992.4p after the group's trading update, as investors focused less on a strong finish to 2025 and more on what was missing about the year ahead. Pearson said it ended 2025 with momentum.

Pearson PLC (LSE:PSON) said it ended 2025 with accelerating growth and reiterated its medium-term outlook, pointing to a strong final quarter and steady progress across all of its businesses. The education group said underlying sales growth reached 8% in the fourth quarter, double the pace seen across the full year, as demand improved in several divisions and new partnerships began to contribute.

Strong execution delivers 2025 financial performance in line with guidance, with all business units contributing to growth. Good strategic progress underpins our confidence for 2026 and beyond.

Pearson PLC (LSE:PSON) is being talked up by JPMorgan, which argues the market has been too pessimistic about the impact of artificial intelligence on the education group. Pearson's shares are down 15% over the past year and the rating has slipped from around 16 times to about 14.5 times forecast 2026 earnings.