Pearson Q1 sales down 4 pct on U.S. and UK weakness

LONDON, April 29 (Reuters) - Pearson Plc (Xetra: 858266 - news) , the British education company struggling to cope with a downturn in its biggest markets, reported a 4 percent fall in first-quarter underlying sales due to weak assessment revenues in the United States and Britain.

Analysts had said the first quarter was a relatively quiet period for Pearson which did not always reflect the likely outcome of the full-year results.

The company, which announced another major restructuring earlier this year, said it was however trading in line with the full-year expectations set out in February. It (Other OTC: ITGL - news) also said it was progressing well with its new turnaround plan.

(Reporting by Kate Holton, editing by Sarah Young)