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John Wiley Sons Cl A
(NYSE:WLY)
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Rating:64Neutral
Price Target:
$52.00
▼(-2.09% Downside)
Action:Reiterated
Date:09/15/26
WLY scores a 64 primarily because financial performance is improving with strong margins and healthy free cash flow, but leverage and a weak revenue trajectory remain meaningful constraints. The latest earnings call adds support via reaffirmed guidance and AI/research momentum with Emerald integration progress, while technicals are currently weak (below key moving averages with negative MACD). Valuation and the dividend are supportive but not enough to fully offset leverage and near-term price weakness.
Positive Factors
Research franchise strength
Strong submission growth, rising publishing output, and retention above 99% indicate a durable research publishing franchise with high customer stickiness. These characteristics support recurring institutional relationships, protect the journal portfolio, and provide a foundation for continued organic growth.
Negative Factors
Learning segment weakness
The Learning downturn is a material drag on consolidated growth and profitability, affecting both Academic and Professional activities. Continued weakness in consumer, corporate, and print-related demand could offset Research gains and make group margins more dependent on cost control.
Read all positive and negative factors
Positive Factors
Negative Factors
Research franchise strength
Strong submission growth, rising publishing output, and retention above 99% indicate a durable research publishing franchise with high customer stickiness. These characteristics support recurring institutional relationships, protect the journal portfolio, and provide a foundation for continued organic growth.
Read all positive factors
John Wiley Sons Cl A Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Any
Adjusted Operating Income by Segment
Reports each segment’s operating profit after routine adjustments, highlighting which parts of the business are truly profitable versus loss-making, and where margin improvements or cost pressures will most impact overall earnings and cash flow.
Reports each segment’s operating profit after routine adjustments, highlighting which parts of the business are truly profitable versus loss-making, and where margin improvements or cost pressures will most impact overall earnings and cash flow.
Data provided by:
The Fly
The FlyJohn Wiley Sons Cl A (WLY) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)
Market Cap
$2.46B
Dividend Yield2.88%
Average Volume (3M)484.33K
Price to Earnings (P/E)13.1
Beta (1Y)0.41
Revenue Growth-0.27%
EPS Growth111.79%
CountryUS
Employees4,500
SectorCommunication Services
Sector Strength97
IndustryPublishing
Share Statistics
EPS (TTM)3.77
Shares Outstanding41,925,510
10 Day Avg. Volume704,057
30 Day Avg. Volume484,334
Financial Highlights & Ratios
PEG Ratio0.06
Price to Book (P/B)2.53
Price to Sales (P/S)1.28
P/FCF Ratio12.15
Enterprise Value/Market Cap<0.01
Enterprise Value/Revenue<0.01
Enterprise Value/Gross Profit<0.01
Enterprise Value/Ebitda<0.01
Forecast
1Y Price TargetN/A
Price Target UpsideN/A
Rating ConsensusN/A
Number of Analyst Covering0
EPS Forecast (FY)4.8
Revenue Forecast (FY)$1.78B
John Wiley Sons Cl A Business Overview & Revenue Model
Company Description
John Wiley & Sons, Inc., a publisher, provides authoritative content, data-driven insights, and knowledge services for the advancement of science, innovation, and learning in the United States, China, the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, and inte...
How the Company Makes Money
Wiley generates revenue mainly by monetizing research and education content and services through a mix of recurring and transactional models. In Research, it earns money from (1) subscriptions and licensing for access to digital journals and resea...
John Wiley Sons Cl A Earnings Call Summary
Earnings Call Date:Sep 03, 2026
(Q1-2027)
| % Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Dec 09, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The call was broadly positive. Strong research publishing growth, expanding AI and data analytics activity, favorable Emerald integration, cost reductions, improved free cash flow, shareholder returns, and reaffirmed full-year guidance significantly outweighed the learning downturn, prior-year AI licensing comparison, lower reported profitability metrics, and higher leverage following the acquisition.Positive Updates
Research Publishing Growth
Research publishing revenue increased 12%, reflecting strong global demand to publish, record submissions, the Emerald addition, and AI momentum. Excluding Emerald, publishing grew about 6%.
Negative Updates
Learning Revenue Decline
Learning revenue declined 20% to $93 million, with both Academic revenue of $45 million and Professional revenue of $48 million down 20%. The decline reflected prior-year AI licensing comparisons, lower print revenue, softer retail consumer demand, softer corporate demand in assessments, and seasonally low academic activity.
Read all updates
Q1-2027 Updates
Positive
Negative
Research Publishing Growth
Research publishing revenue increased 12%, reflecting strong global demand to publish, record submissions, the Emerald addition, and AI momentum. Excluding Emerald, publishing grew about 6%.
Read all positive updates
Company Guidance
Wiley reaffirmed full-year guidance for organic revenue growth of low to mid single digits with research at mid single digits, excluding the $78 million Emerald contribution over 11 months of fiscal 27, with Emerald included in all other metrics; adjusted EBITDA margin of 26.5 to 27.5%, adjusted EPS of $4.60 to $5.05 including roughly $0.10 from Emerald, and free cash flow of $205 million, with Emerald dilutive by $15 million in year 1 before turning accretive in fiscal 28. Wiley remains well on track for over $50 million in fiscal 27 AI revenue and AI recurring revenue growing 2x to 3x over prior year, expects CapEx of approximately $80 million this year, and expects the full $30 million of Emerald cost synergies by year 3; management expects a seasonally soft first quarter picking up in quarter 2, 3, and 4.John Wiley Sons Cl A Financial Statement Overview
Summary
Income Statement
64
Positive
Balance Sheet
48
Neutral
Cash Flow
72
Positive
| Breakdown | TTM | Apr 2026 | Apr 2025 | Apr 2024 | Apr 2023 | Apr 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Income Statement | ||||||
| Total Revenue | 1.67B | 1.68B | 1.68B | 1.87B | 2.02B | 2.08B |
| Gross Profit | 1.26B | 1.25B | 1.19B | 1.24B | 1.24B | 1.30B |
| EBITDA | 232.13M | 258.93M | 345.02M | 43.45M | 288.60M | 449.83M |
| Net Income | 198.19M | 221.62M | 84.16M | -200.32M | 17.23M | 148.31M |
Balance Sheet | ||||||
| Total Assets | 3.13B | 2.59B | 2.69B | 2.73B | 3.11B | 3.36B |
| Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments | 106.43M | 75.62M | 85.88M | 83.40M | 106.71M | 100.40M |
| Total Debt | 1.37B | 768.89M | 899.20M | 887.28M | 883.50M | 940.14M |
| Total Liabilities | 2.34B | 1.74B | 1.94B | 1.99B | 2.06B | 2.22B |
| Stockholders Equity | 797.04M | 848.24M | 752.21M | 739.72M | 1.05B | 1.14B |
Cash Flow | ||||||
| Free Cash Flow | 211.52M | 176.67M | 119.82M | 105.88M | 170.38M | 217.40M |
| Operating Cash Flow | 290.25M | 260.52M | 202.59M | 207.64M | 277.07M | 339.10M |
| Investing Cash Flow | -536.13M | 28.11M | -94.02M | -106.64M | -98.40M | -194.02M |
| Financing Cash Flow | 271.50M | -298.30M | -125.33M | -107.22M | -168.57M | -131.64M |
John Wiley Sons Cl A Technical Analysis
Positive
53.11
Price Trends
51.19
Negative
47.11
Positive
40.04
Positive
Market Momentum
-0.90
Positive
45.61
Neutral
21.12
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For WLY, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 53.11 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 50.90, above the 50-day MA of 51.19, and above the 200-day MA of 40.04, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of -0.90 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 45.61 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 21.12 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for WLY.
John Wiley Sons Cl A Risk Analysis
John Wiley Sons Cl A disclosed 29 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. John Wiley Sons Cl A reported the most risks in the "Tech & Innovation" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks
John Wiley Sons Cl A Peers Comparison
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (60)
Name | Overall Rating | Market Cap | P/E Ratio | ROE | Dividend Yield | Revenue Growth | EPS Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
76 Outperform | $1.18B | 10.02 | 18.61% | ― | 1.50% | -6.82% | |
75 Outperform | $11.34B | 29.63 | 19.47% | 1.14% | 10.76% | 23.78% | |
65 Neutral | $1.97B | 3.35 | 34.27% | 2.03% | -8.46% | -157.54% | |
64 Neutral | $2.46B | 13.08 | 25.28% | 2.88% | -0.27% | 111.79% | |
64 Neutral | $9.61B | 23.25 | 9.13% | 2.17% | 7.10% | -22.39% | |
60 Neutral | $48.67B | 4.58 | -11.27% | 4.14% | 2.83% | -41.78% | |
51 Neutral | $669.46M | 14.31 | 6.61% | 2.43% | -2.68% | ― |
* Communication Services Sector Average
WLY
John Wiley Sons Cl A
49.33
8.61
21.14%
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59.21
20.94
54.72%
NYT
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71.71
14.08
24.43%
PSO
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16.00
2.30
16.75%
SCHL
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35.05
8.71
33.07%
YELP
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21.14
-10.32
-32.80%
John Wiley Sons Cl A Corporate Events
Business Operations and StrategyStock BuybackDividendsFinancial DisclosuresM&A Transactions
Wiley Posts Q1 Loss But Reaffirms Fiscal 2027 Outlook
Neutral
Sep 3, 2026
For the first quarter of fiscal 2027, ended July 31, 2026, Wiley reported revenue of $386 million, down 3% year-on-year, with GAAP operating income dropping to $3 million and diluted EPS turning to a loss of $0.23, largely due to restructuring and...
Executive/Board Changes
Wiley Appoints New Chief Accounting Officer and VP
Positive
Jul 9, 2026
Effective July 9, 2026, John Wiley Sons appointed Frank Scognamiglio as Corporate Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer, making him the company’s principal accounting officer and successor to former CAO Christopher Caridi. Scognamigli...
Business Operations and StrategyStock BuybackDividendsFinancial Disclosures
Wiley Announces Increased Quarterly Dividend and Shareholder Returns
Positive
Jun 25, 2026
On June 25, 2026, Wiley announced that its board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.3575 per share on its Class A and Class B stock, payable on July 23, 2026, to shareholders of record on July 7, 2026. The payout equates to an annual dividen...
Business Operations and StrategyFinancial DisclosuresM&A Transactions
Wiley Posts Strong 2026 Results, Boosts Profitability and Cash
Positive
Jun 16, 2026
On June 16, 2026, Wiley reported its fourth‑quarter and fiscal 2026 results, highlighting flat GAAP revenue of $1.68 billion but a 25% rise in operating income to $277 million and a sharp increase in diluted EPS to $4.16 from $1.53. Adjusted...
Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board ChangesShareholder Meetings
John Wiley Announces Upcoming Board Change and Governance Shift
Neutral
Jun 15, 2026
On June 10, 2026, John Wiley Sons, Inc. announced that long-serving director Mari J. Baker will not stand for reelection at the company’s annual shareholders’ meeting scheduled for September 24, 2026, and will complete her term as a d...
Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Disclaimer
This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.