UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
 
 
FORM 6-K
 
 
REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER
PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16 UNDER
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
 
 
For the month of February 2017
 
 
PEARSON plc
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
 
N/A
 
(Translation of registrant's name into English)
 
80 Strand
London, England WC2R 0RL
44-20-7010-2000
(Address of principal executive office)
 
 
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant files or will file annual reports
under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F:
 
 
 
Form 20-F X                                                Form 40-F
 
 
 
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant by furnishing the information
contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to the
Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
 
 
 
Yes                                              No X
 
 
 
 
 
TR-1: NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTEREST IN SHARESi
 
 
 
1. Identity of the issuer or the underlying issuerof existing shares to which voting rights areattached: ii
 
Pearson PLC
 
2 Reason for the notification (please tick the appropriate box or boxes):
 
An acquisition or disposal of voting rights
 
  X
 
An acquisition or disposal of qualifying financial instruments which may result in the acquisition of shares already issued to which voting rights are attached
 
 
An acquisition or disposal of instruments with similar economic effect to qualifying financial instruments
 
 
An event changing the breakdown of voting rights
 
 
Other (please specify):
 
 
3. Full name of person(s) subject to thenotification obligation: iii
 
BlackRock, Inc.
 
4. Full name of shareholder(s) (if different from 3.):iv
 
 
5. Date of the transaction and date onwhich the threshold is crossed orreached: v
 
13 February, 2017
 
6. Date on which issuer notified:
 
14 February, 2017
 
7. Threshold(s) that is/are crossed orreached: vi, vii
 
Voting rights attached to shares holding for BlackRock, Inc.
has gone above 5%
 
 
 
8. Notified details:
 
A: Voting rights attached to shares viii, ix
 
Class/type ofshares
if possible usingthe ISIN CODE
 
Situation previousto the triggeringtransaction
 
Resulting situation after the triggering transaction
 
NumberofShares
 
NumberofVotingRights
 
Numberof shares
 
Number of votingrights
 
% of voting rights x
 
Direct
 
Direct xi
 
Indirect xii
 
Direct
 
Indirect
 
GB0006776081
 
40,771,533
 
40,771,533
 
N/A
 
N/A
 
41,834,699
 
N/A
 
5.08%
 
 
 
B: Qualifying Financial Instruments
 
Resulting situation after the triggering transaction
 
Type of financialinstrument
 
Expirationdate xiii
 
Exercise/Conversion Period xiv
 
Number of votingrights that may beacquired if theinstrument isexercised/ converted.
 
% of votingrights
 
Securities Lending
 
N/A
 
N/A
 
15,141,712
 
1.84%
 
 
C: Financial Instruments with similar economic effect to Qualifying Financial Instruments xv, xvi
 
Resulting situation after the triggering transaction
 
Type of financialinstrument
 
Exercise price
 
Expiration date xvii
 
Exercise/Conversion period xviii
 
Number of voting rights instrument refers to
 
% of voting rights xix, xx
 
CFD
 
N/A
 
N/A
 
N/A
 
359,697
 
Nominal
 
Delta
 
0.04%
 
0.04%
 
 
Total (A+B+C)
 
Number of voting rights
 
Percentage of voting rights
 
57,336,108
 
6.97%
 
 
9. Chain of controlled undertakings through which the voting rights and/or thefinancial instruments are effectively held, if applicable: xxi
 
See Annex 1
 
 
Proxy Voting:
 
10. Name of the proxy holder:
 
 
11. Number of voting rights proxy holder will cease to hold:
 
 
12. Date on which proxy holder will cease to hold voting rights:
 
 
 
13. Additional information:
 
BlackRock Regulatory Threshold Reporting Team
 
14. Contact name:
 
Marc-Oliver Lesch
 
15. Contact telephone number:
 
020 7743 3650
 
 
 
 
Natalie Dale
Deputy Company Secretary
Pearson plc
15 February 2017
Annex 1
 
 
Name
 
% of voting rights if it equals or is higher than the notifiable threshold
 
% of voting rights through financial instruments if it equals or is higher than the notifiable threshold
 
Total of both if it equals or is higher than the notifiable threshold
 
BlackRock, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Financial Management, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Holdco 4, LLC
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Holdco 6, LLC
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Delaware Holdings Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Fund Advisors
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, National Association
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BlackRock, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Financial Management, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock International Holdings, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BR Jersey International Holdings L.P.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Group Limited
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Advisors (UK) Limited
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BlackRock, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Financial Management, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock International Holdings, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BR Jersey International Holdings L.P.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Group Limited
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BlackRock, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Financial Management, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock International Holdings, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BR Jersey International Holdings L.P.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Australia Holdco Pty. Ltd.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Investment Management (Australia) Limited
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BlackRock, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Financial Management, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock International Holdings, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BR Jersey International Holdings L.P.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock (Singapore) Holdco Pte. Ltd.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Asia-Pac Holdco, LLC
 
 
 
 
BlackRock HK Holdco Limited
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Cayco Limited
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Trident Holding Company Limited
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Japan Holdings GK
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Japan Co., Ltd.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BlackRock, Inc.
 
 
 
 
Trident Merger, LLC
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Investment Management, LLC
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BlackRock, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Financial Management, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock International Holdings, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BR Jersey International Holdings L.P.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Holdco 3, LLC
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Canada Holdings LP
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Canada Holdings ULC
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BlackRock, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Financial Management, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Holdco 4, LLC
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Holdco 6, LLC
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Delaware Holdings Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Fund Advisors
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BlackRock, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Financial Management, Inc.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BlackRock, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Financial Management, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Capital Holdings, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Advisors, LLC
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BlackRock, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Financial Management, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock International Holdings, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BR Jersey International Holdings L.P.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock (Singapore) Holdco Pte. Ltd.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock (Singapore) Limited
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BlackRock, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Financial Management, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock International Holdings, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BR Jersey International Holdings L.P.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Group Limited
 
 
 
 
BlackRock International Limited
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BlackRock, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Financial Management, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock International Holdings, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BR Jersey International Holdings L.P.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Group Limited
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Asset Management Deutschland AG
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BlackRock, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Financial Management, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock International Holdings, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BR Jersey International Holdings L.P.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock (Singapore) Holdco Pte. Ltd.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Asia-Pac Holdco, LLC
 
 
 
 
BlackRock HK Holdco Limited
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Asset Management North Asia Limited
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BlackRock, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Financial Management, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock International Holdings, Inc.
 
 
 
 
BR Jersey International Holdings L.P.
 
 
 
 
BlackRock Group Limited
 
 
 
 
BlackRock (Netherlands) B.V.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SIGNATURE
 
 
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
 
 
PEARSON plc
 
 
 
Date: 15 February 2017
 
 
 
By: /s/ NATALIE DALE
 
 
 
 
------------------------------------
 
 
Natalie Dale
 
 
Deputy Company Secretary