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ITV vs Pearson: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

ITV holds the cleaner structural position, with the lead spread across profitability and growth. Pearson still has the edge on stability, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. Both sides have seen trend damage — neither carries a clear market edge right now. With both trends damaged, the structural comparison carries most of the weight here.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels. Both peer scores are relative to the STOXX 600 universe, making them directly comparable.

Updated 2026-05-17

The lead is spread across profitability and growth, rather than sitting in one isolated gap. ITV plc leads by 26 points on the overall comparison score.

Trajectory Similarity
0.72
Similar
Peer-set rank: #46
within ITV plc's functional peer set

These two companies are linked by measured long-term financial trajectory similarity within the selected peer universe.

A solid similarity means the pair shares a clearly comparable long-term financial profile, even if individual dimensions still differ.

The match is driven mainly by recent revenue growth and investment intensity.

Similarity drivers
recent revenue growthinvestment intensity
How to read the score
0.85–1.00 · Very similar0.70–0.84 · Similar0.55–0.69 · Moderately similarbelow 0.55 · Loose match
Peer-Relative Score
ITV.L
ITV plc
68
Peer-Score
Signal qualityMedium
Peer basis: STOXX 600
vs
PSON.L
Pearson plc
42
Peer-Score
Signal qualityMedium
Peer basis: STOXX 600

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

Score differences across key dimensions.

Dimension spread: ITV.L vs PSON.L Profitability 68 19 Stability 40 61 Valuation 83 60 Growth 72 27 ITV.L PSON.L
Gap Ranking
#1 Profitability +49
#2 Growth +45
#3 Valuation +23
#4 Stability +21
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for ITV.L and PSON.L Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer ITV.LPSON.L Relative valuation Structural strength

ITV plc looks stronger on relative valuation, while the broader price setup remains mixed.

Valuation position uses peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Profitability
On profitability, ITV plc ranks near the top of the group; Pearson plc sits in the weaker half.
Growth
On growth, the gap still runs the same way: ITV plc sits near the top of the group, while Pearson plc remains in the weaker half.
Profitability — Dominant Gap
ITV.L
68
PSON.L
19
Gap+49in favour of ITV.L

The profitability gap is very wide, with the stronger side earning materially better operating marks.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Pearson plc still looks less cycle-sensitive — that keeps the result from looking completely one-sided.

What this means for the comparison

The lead is built on both profitability and growth — though stability still provides a counterweight.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the ITV.L vs PSON.L comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Other comparisons with conflicting dimension signals

Explore how ITV.L and PSON.L each compare against other companies in their peer groups.

Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.

Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.

Because scores are peer-relative, the same company can have slightly different scores in different index universes. On comparison pages, both companies are shown within their shared peer universe wherever possible — so the scores are directly comparable. The peer basis is stated on each score card.

Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.