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John Wiley Sons Cl A
(NYSE:WLY)
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Rating:73Outperform
Price Target:
$51.00
▲(41.63% Upside)
Action:Reiterated
Date:06/26/26
WLY’s score is driven primarily by improved financial performance in 2026 (stronger margins, healthier leverage, and consistently positive free cash flow). Supportive FY27 guidance and generally constructive earnings-call sentiment add to the outlook despite near-term integration dilution and Learning weakness. Technicals are positive with the stock above key moving averages, and valuation is attractive with a low P/E and ~3.1% dividend yield.
Positive Factors
Sustained Margin Expansion
Record and rising margins reflect structural improvement in pricing, product mix, and cost discipline. Higher operating and EBITDA margins increase operating leverage, support durable earnings power, fund reinvestment and shareholder returns, and cushion the business against modest revenue cyclicality.
Negative Factors
Weakness in Learning Segment
Sustained declines in Learning revenues point to secular and channel challenges (print decline, retail disruption, softer corporate/consumer spend). Persistent weakness limits overall top-line growth, forces continued cost cutting, and makes recovery timing dependent on external market normalization.
Read all positive and negative factors
Positive Factors
Negative Factors
Sustained Margin Expansion
Record and rising margins reflect structural improvement in pricing, product mix, and cost discipline. Higher operating and EBITDA margins increase operating leverage, support durable earnings power, fund reinvestment and shareholder returns, and cushion the business against modest revenue cyclicality.
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
$2.58B
Dividend Yield4.48%
Average Volume (3M)441.18K
Price to Earnings (P/E)12.1
Beta (1Y)0.50
Revenue Growth-0.06%
EPS Growth173.86%
CountryUS
Employees6,400
SectorCommunication Services
Sector Strength97
IndustryPublishing
Share Statistics
EPS (TTM)4.22
Shares Outstanding42,001,045
10 Day Avg. Volume622,545
30 Day Avg. Volume441,183
Financial Highlights & Ratios
PEG Ratio0.06
Price to Book (P/B)2.53
Price to Sales (P/S)1.28
P/FCF Ratio10.26
Enterprise Value/Market Cap1.20
Enterprise Value/Revenue1.85
Enterprise Value/Gross Profit2.49
Enterprise Value/Ebitda11.99
Forecast
1Y Price TargetN/A
Price Target UpsideN/A
Rating ConsensusN/A
Number of Analyst Covering0
EPS Forecast (FY)4.75
Revenue Forecast (FY)$1.72B
John Wiley Sons Cl A Business Overview & Revenue Model
Company Description
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. is a global enterprise focused on research and educational solutions. Its operations are categorized into three main divisions: Research Publishing & Platforms, Academic & Professional Learning, and Education Services. The ...
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:Jun 16, 2026
(Q4-2026)
| % Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Sep 03, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The call emphasizes strong operational progress: record margin expansion, significant free cash flow growth, improved leverage, accelerating research and AI momentum, and a strategic acquisition (Emerald) that deepens content and recurring revenue. Near-term challenges center on the learning segment declines, some timing-driven cash collection effects, and short-term dilution from Emerald integration and Q1 AI comparables. On balance, the positive financial results, clear AI revenue trajectory, and disciplined capital allocation outweigh the highlighted headwinds, positioning the company for continued margin and cash flow improvement over the medium term.Positive Updates
Record Margin Expansion
Adjusted EBITDA margin rose 220 bps to 26.2% for fiscal 2026 (all-time high); adjusted operating margin rose 260 bps to 17.7% (all-time high). Q4 adjusted EBITDA margin improved ~480 bps to 33.2% and adjusted operating margin improved ~520 bps to 25.3%.
Negative Updates
Learning Segment Revenue Declines
Learning underperformance: full-year academic down ~5% and professional down ~10%. Q4 academic revenue down 5% on a constant currency basis and Q4 professional down 10%, driven by softer print revenue, prior-year AI licensing comparisons, and weak consumer/corporate spending.
Read all updates
Q4-2026 Updates
Positive
Negative
Record Margin Expansion
Adjusted EBITDA margin rose 220 bps to 26.2% for fiscal 2026 (all-time high); adjusted operating margin rose 260 bps to 17.7% (all-time high). Q4 adjusted EBITDA margin improved ~480 bps to 33.2% and adjusted operating margin improved ~520 bps to 25.3%.
Read all positive updates
Company Guidance
Wiley guided fiscal 2027 to organic revenue growth of low- to mid-single digits (research at mid-single digits) excluding about $78M of anticipated Emerald revenue that is included in other metrics; adjusted EBITDA margin of 26.5%–27.5% (up from 26.2% in FY26); adjusted EPS $4.60–$5.05 (vs. $4.19 in FY26, including ~ $0.10 contribution from Emerald); free cash flow of $205M (vs. $195M in FY26) which factors in roughly $15M of year‑1 Emerald dilution, ~$15M of higher CapEx, restructuring costs and higher cash taxes; management flagged a Q1 timing headwind of ~ $25M tied to prior‑year AI projects partly offset by ~ $14M of Emerald revenue from two months, expects Emerald to be modestly accretive to adjusted EPS in year 1 and accretive to FCF in year 2 with ROIC above WACC by year 2, targets $30M of run‑rate cost synergies by year 3 (material savings in year 2), and notes pro forma leverage of ~2.1x (within a 1.5x–2.5x target range).John Wiley Sons Cl A Financial Statement Overview
Summary
Income Statement
71
Positive
Balance Sheet
66
Positive
Cash Flow
74
Positive
| Breakdown | Apr 2026 | Apr 2025 | Apr 2024 | Apr 2023 | Apr 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Income Statement | |||||
| Total Revenue | 1.68B | 1.68B | 1.87B | 2.02B | 2.08B |
| Gross Profit | 1.25B | 1.19B | 1.24B | 1.24B | 1.30B |
| EBITDA | 258.93M | 345.02M | 43.45M | 288.60M | 449.83M |
| Net Income | 221.62M | 84.16M | -200.32M | 17.23M | 148.31M |
Balance Sheet | |||||
| Total Assets | 2.59B | 2.69B | 2.73B | 3.11B | 3.36B |
| Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments | 75.62M | 85.88M | 83.40M | 106.71M | 100.40M |
| Total Debt | 768.89M | 899.20M | 887.28M | 883.50M | 940.14M |
| Total Liabilities | 1.74B | 1.94B | 1.99B | 2.06B | 2.22B |
| Stockholders Equity | 848.24M | 752.21M | 739.72M | 1.05B | 1.14B |
Cash Flow | |||||
| Free Cash Flow | 209.35M | 119.82M | 105.88M | 170.38M | 217.40M |
| Operating Cash Flow | 260.52M | 202.59M | 207.64M | 277.07M | 339.10M |
| Investing Cash Flow | 28.11M | -94.02M | -106.64M | -98.40M | -194.02M |
| Financing Cash Flow | -298.30M | -125.33M | -107.22M | -168.57M | -131.64M |
John Wiley Sons Cl A Technical Analysis
Positive
36.01
Price Trends
42.91
Positive
38.82
Positive
36.48
Positive
Market Momentum
1.68
Negative
72.26
Negative
89.98
Negative
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 36.01 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 45.32, below the 50-day MA of 42.91, and below the 200-day MA of 36.48, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 1.68 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 72.26 is Negative, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 89.98 is Negative, 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 30 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
75 Outperform | $1.44B | 11.77 | 19.70% | ― | 2.09% | 4.03% | |
73 Outperform | $2.58B | 12.09 | 18.41% | 4.48% | -0.06% | 173.86% | |
73 Outperform | $11.62B | 30.55 | 19.22% | 0.95% | 10.41% | 27.40% | |
66 Neutral | $1.03B | 18.35 | 6.91% | 2.78% | 1.38% | 296.53% | |
64 Neutral | $9.83B | 23.77 | 9.26% | 2.11% | 3.91% | -19.81% | |
63 Neutral | $1.91B | 45.61 | 2.55% | ― | -1.81% | -35.73% | |
60 Neutral | $48.67B | 4.58 | -11.27% | 4.14% | 2.83% | -41.78% |
* Communication Services Sector Average
WLY
John Wiley Sons Cl A
51.01
9.25
22.15%
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51.97
19.42
59.66%
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15.91
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16.39
2.02
14.05%
SCHL
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47.34
25.96
121.40%
YELP
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26.25
-8.79
-25.09%
John Wiley Sons Cl A Corporate Events
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...
Business Operations and StrategyFinancial DisclosuresM&A Transactions
Wiley Completes Emerald Acquisition, Expanding Scholarly Publishing Portfolio
Positive
Jun 2, 2026
On June 1, 2026, John Wiley Sons Ltd., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of John Wiley Sons, Inc., acquired Emerald Publishing’s parent, CIG Emerald Holding LLC, for an all-cash consideration of £337.5 million (about $452 million), ...
Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board Changes
Wiley Appoints New Executive to Lead AI-Driven Research
Positive
May 6, 2026
Wiley, a global provider of scholarly content and research intelligence, has been integrating AI-powered platforms with its traditional publishing strengths to serve researchers, students, and corporate RD teams worldwide. The company focuses on t...
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.