Holding(s) in Company

RNS Number : 0451V

Pearson PLC

13 April 2016

NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTEREST IN SHARES

1. Identity of the issuer or the underlying issuer of existing shares to which voting rights are attached:		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 the notification obligation:	Ameriprise Financial, Inc. and its group
4. Full name of shareholder(s) (if different from 3.):	Nortrust Nominees Ltd Vidacos Nominees Ltd State Street Nominees Limited HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited Chase Nominees Limited Roy Nominees Ltd The Bank of New York (Nominees) Limited BNP Paribas Nominees Pty Limited BNY Mellon Nominees Ltd State Street Bank and Trust Company
5. Date of the transaction and date on which the threshold is crossed or reached:	8 April 2016
6. Date on which issuer notified:	12 April 2016
7. Threshold(s) that is/are crossed or reached:	Above the threshold of 5%

8. Notified details:

A: Voting rights attached to shares

Class/type of
shares

if possible using
the ISIN CODE

Situation previous
to the triggering
transaction

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Number
of
Shares

Number
of
Voting
Rights

Number
of shares

Number of voting
rights

% of voting rights

Direct

Indirect

Direct

Indirect

Ordinary shares

GB0006776081

N/A

318,779

40,850,796

0.039%

4.972%

US7050151056

N/A

66,800

0.008%

B: Qualifying Financial Instruments

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Type of financial
instrument

Expiration
date

Exercise/
Conversion Period

Number of voting
rights that may be
acquired if the
instrument is
exercised/ converted.

% of voting
rights

C: Financial Instruments with similar economic effect to Qualifying Financial Instruments

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Type of financial
instrument

Exercise price

Expiration date

Exercise/
Conversion period

Number of voting rights instrument refers to

% of voting rights

Nominal

Delta

Total (A+B+C)

Number of voting rights

Percentage of voting rights

41,236,375

5.019%

9. Chain of controlled undertakings through which the voting rights and/or the
financial instruments are effectively held, if applicable:

Threadneedle Asset Management Limited (4.763%)

Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (0.255%)

Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. (0.001%)

Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC is wholly owned by Ameriprise Financial, Inc.

Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. is wholly owned by AMPF Holding Corporation, which is itself wholly owned by Ameriprise Financial, Inc.

Threadneedle Asset Management Limited is wholly owned by TC Financing Limited, which is itself wholly owned by Threadneedle Asset Management Holdings Limited, which is itself wholly owned by TAM UK Holdings Limited, which is itself wholly owned by Threadneedle Holdings Limited, which is itself wholly owned by Threadneedle Asset Management Holdings SARL, which is itself wholly owned by Ameriprise International Holdings GmbH, which is itself wholly owned by Ameriprise Financial, Inc.

Proxy Voting:

10. Name of the proxy holder:

N/A

11. Number of voting rights proxy holder will cease
to hold:

N/A

12. Date on which proxy holder will cease to hold
voting rights:

N/A

13. Additional information:

The Shares referred to in section 9 of this form are held in portfolios and funds managed on a discretionary basis by the entities set out in section 9.

Please note that the Shares are held through certain nominee companies.

14. Contact name:

Mark Powney, Threadneedle Asset Management Ltd.

15. Contact telephone number:

+44 (0) 1793 363 135

Natalie Dale

Deputy Company Secretary

Pearson plc

13 April 2016

This information is provided by RNS

The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

END