Pearson plc filed a foreign private issuer report on November 3, 2026, disclosing that Artisan Partners Limited Partnership crossed a major shareholding threshold in Pearson plc on October 29, 2026, with its voting rights position falling to 11.998% from a previously notified 12.010%.

Key Highlights

  • Threshold crossed: Artisan Partners Limited Partnership's total voting rights in Pearson plc fell to 11.998% on October 29, 2026.
  • Previous notification: The prior notified position stood at 12.010%, according to the filing.
  • Total shares held: 72,201,182 voting rights, all held indirectly via shares with ISIN GB0006776081.
  • No financial instruments: The filing reports zero voting rights held through financial instruments in both sub-totals 8.B1 and 8.B2.
  • Custodians listed: Shares are held indirectly through Bank of New York, Brown Brothers Harriman, JP Morgan Chase, Northern Trust, and State Street Bank, among others.
  • Discretionary manager: Artisan Partners Limited Partnership holds voting rights "as a discretionary investment manager with no determined end date," the filing states.
  • Issuer notified: Pearson plc was notified on November 2, 2026, the day before the filing date.

Artisan Partners' Indirect Stake in Pearson After October Disposal

According to the filing submitted by Pearson plc (NYSE:PSO), Artisan Partners Limited Partnership reported a disposal of voting rights that pushed its total holding in the global education and learning company below its previous notified level. The notification, completed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on November 2, 2026, was signed by Christie Wolstencroft, Senior Assistant Company Secretary of Pearson plc, and submitted to the SEC on November 3, 2026.

The filing details that all 72,201,182 voting rights are held indirectly under DTR5.2.1, with zero direct voting rights reported. The controlling chain described in the document runs from Artisan Partners Asset Management Inc. through Artisan Partners Holdings LP, then Artisan Partners Investments GP LLC, and finally to Artisan Partners Limited Partnership, which is recorded as holding 11.998% of voting rights in Pearson plc at the date the threshold was crossed. No financial instruments carrying voting rights or similar economic effect were reported in either the 8.B1 or 8.B2 sections of the notification form.

Pearson plc, registered in the United Kingdom with its principal offices at 80 Strand, London, files annual reports under Form 20-F. The company's shares carry ISIN GB0006776081. The filing notes the reason for notification as "an acquisition or disposal of voting rights," consistent with a reduction from the previously notified 12.010% position.

What Was Disclosed

Pearson plc filed a major holdings notification reporting that Artisan Partners Limited Partnership's indirect voting rights fell from 12.010% to 11.998%, representing 72,201,182 shares, after a threshold was crossed on October 29, 2026.