John Wiley Sons Cl A (WLY) AI Stock Analysis

• Market Cap: $1.62B
• Dividend Yield: 4.57%
• Average Volume (3M): 593.86K
• Price to Earnings (P/E): 16.5
• Beta (1Y): 0.66
• Revenue Growth: -5.33%
• EPS Growth: N/A
• Country: US
• Employees: 6,400
• Sector: Communication Services
• Sector Strength: 97
• Industry: Publishing
• EPS (TTM): 1.10
• Shares Outstanding: 43,792,360
• 10 Day Avg. Volume: 886,627
• 30 Day Avg. Volume: 593,862
• PEG Ratio: -0.20
• Price to Book (P/B): 3.14
• Price to Sales (P/S): 1.41
• P/FCF Ratio: 16.72
• Enterprise Value/Market Cap: 1.77
• Enterprise Value/Revenue: 1.72
• Enterprise Value/Gross Profit: 2.42
• Enterprise Value/Ebitda: 8.39
• 1Y Price Target: N/A
• Price Target Upside: N/A
• Rating Consensus: N/A
• Number of Analyst Covering: 0
• EPS Forecast (FY): N/A
• Revenue Forecast (FY): N/A

• Rating: 69 Neutral
• Price Target: $35.00 ▼(-2.80% Downside)

The overall stock score reflects a stable financial position with strong valuation metrics and positive corporate events. However, technical analysis indicates bearish momentum, which is a significant risk. The earnings call provided a positive outlook, particularly in the research and AI segments, but challenges in other areas remain.

Positive Factors

Research Segment Growth

The growth in the research segment, driven by global demand and AI initiatives, positions Wiley well in the academic publishing market, ensuring sustained revenue streams.

AI Revenue Success

The success in AI revenue generation highlights Wiley's ability to innovate and capitalize on emerging technologies, providing a competitive edge and new growth avenues.

Share Repurchase Plan

The increased share repurchase plan reflects management's confidence in the company's financial health and growth prospects, enhancing shareholder value over the long term.

Negative Factors

Decline in Learning Segment

The decline in the Learning segment indicates challenges in adapting to market changes, which could hinder overall revenue growth if not addressed.

Decrease in Professional Segment Revenue

The drop in professional segment revenue suggests vulnerability to external market conditions, potentially affecting Wiley's ability to maintain diversified income streams.

Narrowed Revenue Outlook

The narrowed revenue outlook reflects ongoing challenges in certain segments, which could limit Wiley's growth potential and necessitate strategic adjustments.

John Wiley Sons Cl A Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description

John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (WLY) is a global leader in research and education, providing a wide range of products and services in the academic, professional, and educational sectors. The company operates primarily through three segments: Academic Publishing, Professional Learning, and Education Services. Wiley's core offerings include scholarly journals, books, online learning resources, and professional development tools, catering to researchers, educators, and professionals across various disciplines.

How the Company Makes Money

Wiley generates revenue through multiple streams, primarily from the sale of academic and professional content, including subscriptions to journals and online databases. The Academic Publishing segment is a significant contributor, with revenue coming from institutional subscriptions, individual sales, and licensing agreements. The Professional Learning segment earns income from the sale of training materials, certification programs, and professional development courses. Additionally, Wiley has established partnerships with educational institutions and organizations to provide tailored learning solutions, which further support its revenue growth. The company also benefits from a growing emphasis on digital content and online learning, allowing it to reach a broader audience and diversify its offerings.

John Wiley Sons Cl A Financial Statement Overview

Summary

John Wiley Sons Cl A shows a stable financial position with strong gross margins and improved cash flow generation. However, declining revenue and profitability margins indicate challenges in growth and operational efficiency. The balance sheet remains robust, with improved leverage ratios, but profitability metrics have weakened, requiring strategic focus on enhancing revenue and profit margins.

Income Statement

The income statement shows a mixed performance. The gross profit margin is strong at over 71% in the TTM, indicating efficient cost management. However, the net profit margin has declined, reflecting challenges in converting revenue into profit. Revenue growth has been negative, indicating a decline in sales over recent periods. EBIT and EBITDA margins have also shown a downward trend, suggesting pressure on operational efficiency.

Balance Sheet

The balance sheet reflects a stable financial position with a manageable debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39 in the TTM, showing improved leverage compared to previous periods. Return on equity has decreased, indicating reduced profitability from shareholders' investments. The equity ratio is solid, suggesting a strong capital structure.

Cash Flow

Cash flow analysis reveals positive trends, with free cash flow growth of 14.66% in the TTM, indicating improved cash generation. The operating cash flow to net income ratio is healthy, showing good cash conversion. However, the free cash flow to net income ratio has slightly decreased, suggesting some challenges in maintaining cash flow relative to net income.

Breakdown	Dec 2025	Dec 2024	Dec 2023	Dec 2022	Dec 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue	1.68B	1.87B	2.02B	2.08B	1.94B
Gross Profit	1.19B	1.29B	1.33B	1.38B	1.32B
EBITDA	343.63M	53.28M	293.60M	445.63M	395.88M
Net Income	84.16M	-200.32M	17.23M	148.31M	148.26M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets	2.69B	2.73B	3.11B	3.36B	3.45B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments	85.88M	83.40M	106.71M	100.40M	93.80M
Total Debt	899.20M	887.28M	883.50M	940.14M	989.86M
Total Liabilities	1.94B	1.99B	2.06B	2.22B	2.36B
Stockholders Equity	752.21M	739.72M	1.05B	1.14B	1.09B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow	141.12M	105.88M	170.38M	217.40M	226.71M
Operating Cash Flow	202.59M	207.64M	277.07M	339.10M	359.92M
Investing Cash Flow	-94.02M	-106.64M	-98.40M	-194.02M	-433.15M
Financing Cash Flow	-125.33M	-107.22M	-168.57M	-131.64M	-47.09M

John Wiley Sons Cl A Technical Analysis

• Technical Analysis Sentiment: Negative
• Last Price: 36.01
• 50DMA: Negative
• 100DMA: Negative
• 200DMA: Negative
• MACD: Positive
• RSI: Neutral
• STOCH: Positive

Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For WLY, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 36.01 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 34.22, below the 50-day MA of 36.01, and below the 200-day MA of 39.69, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of -1.36 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 32.77 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 15.48 is Positive, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for WLY.

John Wiley Sons Cl A Peers Comparison

Name	Overall Rating	Market Cap	P/E Ratio	ROE	Dividend Yield	Revenue Growth	EPS Growth
NYT	79 Outperform	$11.03B	33.12	17.63%	0.99%	8.43%	21.38%
PSO	74 Outperform	$8.85B	16.21	11.74%	2.14%	1.93%	34.40%
YELP	70 Outperform	$1.88B	13.46	20.37%	―	5.35%	33.74%
ZD	69 Neutral	$1.42B	14.58	6.26%	―	5.70%	97.88%
WLY	69 Neutral	$1.62B	16.45	13.61%	4.57%	-5.33%	―
Sector *	60 Neutral	$48.67B	4.58	-11.27%	4.14%	2.83%	-41.78%
SCHL	53 Neutral	$728.27M	―	-1.14%	2.76%	0.97%	-197.80%

John Wiley Sons Cl A Corporate Events

John Wiley & Sons Boosts 2026 Share Repurchase Plan

On December 10, 2025, John Wiley & Sons announced an increase in its Fiscal 2026 share repurchase allocation to $100 million, reflecting confidence in its growth trajectory and financial strength. The company reported strong Q2 results, including a 250 basis point improvement in adjusted operating margin and significant growth in research and AI content licensing, while reaffirming its full-year financial guidance.

Wiley Reports Strong Q2 Growth in Research Segment

On December 4, 2025, Wiley reported its second quarter fiscal year 2026 results, highlighting significant growth in its Research segment driven by global demand and AI initiatives. Revenue for the quarter was $422 million, with operating income up 14% compared to the previous year. Despite a decline in Learning revenue due to market challenges, Wiley achieved a 19% improvement in operating cash flow and increased share repurchases by 69%. The company reaffirmed its fiscal 2026 outlook, expecting strong momentum in Research and AI, while narrowing revenue guidance to the low end due to Learning segment challenges.

John Wiley Sons Cl A Annual Shareholders Meeting Update

On September 25, 2025, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. held its Annual Meeting of Shareholders, where a significant majority of Class A and Class B shares were represented. All directors standing for re-election were re-elected, but Brian Hemphill, who received more withheld votes than votes for, tendered his resignation. The Board, however, decided not to accept his resignation, citing his valuable contributions and leadership experience as beneficial to the company.