Pearson said it expected demand for its courses and textbooks to trump global economic headwinds as a digital turnround at the FTSE 100 group showed signs of bearing fruit, sending its shares up 7 per cent.
The group said on Monday it expected its full-year margins to reach a mid-teen target next year, two years ahead of schedule, on the back of cost cuts and strong demand for its courses as Covid-related restrictions ease.
Chief executive Andy Bird, a former Disney executive who took over in 2020, has shifted Pearson’s focus from being a traditional textbook publisher to a digital, consumer-focused brand catering for learning opportunities beyond school and college such as adult reskilling programmes.