John Wiley Sons Cl (WLY)
NYSE:WLY
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John Wiley Sons Cl A
(NYSE:WLY)
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Rating:71Outperform
Price Target:
$44.00
▲(22.19% Upside)
Action:Reiterated
Date:05/07/26
The score is driven primarily by improving financial performance (profit and free-cash-flow recovery with strong gross margins), reinforced by constructive technical trends. Valuation adds support via a moderate P/E and solid dividend yield, while earnings-call takeaways are favorable on margins, cash flow, AI traction and buybacks, tempered by only modest revenue-growth guidance, Learning segment weakness, and AI-related legal/execution risk.
Positive Factors
High gross margins & improving FCF
Wiley's ~70% gross margins provide durable earnings leverage, letting operating improvements flow to profits. Free cash flow recovery (~$190M, +28.4%) supports reinvestment, buybacks and dividends without relying on volatile top-line growth, improving financial flexibility over the medium term.
Negative Factors
Learning segment weakness
The Learning business shows persistent softness, reducing revenue diversification and margin resilience. Professional and higher-ed product headwinds, plus channel disruptions, can weigh on medium-term growth and limit the company's ability to fully offset cyclicality in research publishing.
Read all positive and negative factors
Positive Factors
Negative Factors
High gross margins & improving FCF
Wiley's ~70% gross margins provide durable earnings leverage, letting operating improvements flow to profits. Free cash flow recovery (~$190M, +28.4%) supports reinvestment, buybacks and dividends without relying on volatile top-line growth, improving financial flexibility over the medium term.
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
$2.14B
Dividend Yield4.48%
Average Volume (3M)392.77K
Price to Earnings (P/E)13.7
Beta (1Y)0.58
Revenue Growth-1.90%
EPS Growth283.01%
CountryUS
Employees6,400
SectorCommunication Services
Sector Strength97
IndustryPublishing
Share Statistics
EPS (TTM)2.91
Shares Outstanding42,562,550
10 Day Avg. Volume368,485
30 Day Avg. Volume392,770
Financial Highlights & Ratios
PEG Ratio-0.20
Price to Book (P/B)3.14
Price to Sales (P/S)1.41
P/FCF Ratio16.72
Enterprise Value/Market Cap1.42
Enterprise Value/Revenue1.82
Enterprise Value/Gross Profit2.56
Enterprise Value/Ebitda7.25
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. operates as a research and education company worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Research Publishing & Platforms, Academic & Professional Learning, and Education Services. The Research Publishing & Platf...
How the Company Makes Money
Wiley primarily makes money by monetizing intellectual property and digital platforms across research publishing and learning. A major revenue stream comes from its Research segment, where it publishes scholarly journals and related content and ea...
John Wiley Sons Cl A Earnings Call Summary
Earnings Call Date:Mar 05, 2026
(Q3-2026)
| % Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Jun 16, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The call highlighted strong progress on profitability, cash generation, and AI commercialization with multiple strategic partnerships and clear product traction (Research Exchange, Gateway, Nexus). Research publishing and AI/data services are clear growth engines, with AI revenue already exceeding prior-year totals and large partnerships underway. Offsetting these positives are persistent near-term headwinds in the Learning segment, modest overall revenue growth (low single digits guidance), and some execution/legal uncertainties around AI commercialization and copyrights. On balance, the positive operational momentum, margin expansion, improving cash flow, and accelerating AI pipeline outweigh the current pockets of weakness.Positive Updates
Margin Expansion and Profitability
Adjusted operating margin improved 280 basis points and adjusted EBITDA margin improved 250 basis points; adjusted operating income, adjusted EPS, and adjusted EBITDA were up 22%, 19%, and 12% year-over-year respectively, demonstrating strong profit expansion despite revenue softness.
Negative Updates
Overall Revenue and Quarter Dynamics
Total revenue for the quarter was largely in line with expectations but only up 1% reported and flat at constant currency; management cited an unfavorable comparable in research and soft market conditions in Learning that constrained top-line growth.
Read all updates
Q3-2026 Updates
Positive
Negative
Margin Expansion and Profitability
Adjusted operating margin improved 280 basis points and adjusted EBITDA margin improved 250 basis points; adjusted operating income, adjusted EPS, and adjusted EBITDA were up 22%, 19%, and 12% year-over-year respectively, demonstrating strong profit expansion despite revenue softness.
Read all positive updates
Company Guidance
John Wiley expects fiscal 2026 revenue growth in the low single digits, adjusted EBITDA margin at the high end of its 25.5%–26.5% range (up from 24% last year), adjusted EPS at the high end of $3.90–$4.35, and free cash flow of approximately $200M, with CapEx roughly flat to last year (~$77M); the company forecasts AI revenue of $45M–$50M (YTD $42M vs. $40M in FY25 and $23M in FY24), continued margin expansion (Q3 adjusted operating margin +280 bps; Q3 adjusted EBITDA margin +250 bps), strong cash generation (Q3 operating cash flow ≈$103M; operating cash flow up $51M YTD; free cash flow up $57M YTD), leverage down to ~1.7 (from 2.0), and continued capital return with a $100M buyback target ($70M YTD, ~$30M planned in Q4) and a ~4.5% dividend yield.John Wiley Sons Cl A Financial Statement Overview
Summary
Income Statement
68
Positive
Balance Sheet
60
Neutral
Cash Flow
72
Positive
| Breakdown | TTM | Apr 2025 | Apr 2024 | Apr 2023 | Apr 2022 | Apr 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Income Statement | ||||||
| Total Revenue | 1.67B | 1.68B | 1.87B | 2.02B | 2.08B | 1.94B |
| Gross Profit | 1.19B | 1.19B | 1.24B | 1.24B | 1.30B | 1.24B |
| EBITDA | 418.43M | 396.56M | 405.24M | 422.83M | 438.22M | 424.11M |
| Net Income | 154.36M | 84.16M | -200.32M | 17.23M | 148.31M | 148.26M |
Balance Sheet | ||||||
| Total Assets | 2.56B | 2.69B | 2.73B | 3.11B | 3.36B | 3.45B |
| Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments | 95.11M | 85.88M | 83.40M | 106.71M | 100.40M | 93.80M |
| Total Debt | 897.39M | 899.20M | 887.28M | 883.50M | 940.14M | 989.86M |
| Total Liabilities | 1.81B | 1.94B | 1.99B | 2.06B | 2.22B | 2.36B |
| Stockholders Equity | 749.98M | 752.21M | 739.72M | 1.05B | 1.14B | 1.09B |
Cash Flow | ||||||
| Free Cash Flow | 190.44M | 141.12M | 105.88M | 170.38M | 217.40M | 226.71M |
| Operating Cash Flow | 253.65M | 202.59M | 207.64M | 277.07M | 339.10M | 359.92M |
| Investing Cash Flow | 21.28M | -94.02M | -106.64M | -98.40M | -194.02M | -433.15M |
| Financing Cash Flow | -289.38M | -125.33M | -107.22M | -168.57M | -131.64M | -47.09M |
John Wiley Sons Cl A Technical Analysis
Positive
36.01
Price Trends
39.11
Positive
34.81
Positive
35.65
Positive
Market Momentum
0.49
Positive
63.82
Neutral
80.04
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 40.76, below the 50-day MA of 39.11, and above the 200-day MA of 35.65, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 0.49 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 63.82 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 80.04 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
74 Outperform | $1.20B | 20.51 | 19.70% | ― | 2.09% | 4.03% | |
73 Outperform | $12.41B | 38.58 | 19.22% | 0.95% | 10.41% | 27.40% | |
71 Outperform | $2.14B | 13.74 | 20.75% | 4.48% | -1.90% | 283.01% | |
66 Neutral | $879.26M | 3.53 | 6.91% | 2.78% | 1.38% | 296.53% | |
64 Neutral | $9.14B | 9.74 | 9.26% | 2.11% | 3.91% | -19.81% | |
62 Neutral | $1.52B | 17.72 | 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
42.03
0.46
1.11%
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John Wiley Sons Cl A Corporate Events
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...
Business Operations and StrategyStock BuybackDividendsFinancial Disclosures
Wiley Posts Strong Q3 Results, Highlights Growing AI Momentum
Positive
Mar 5, 2026
On March 5, 2026, Wiley reported third quarter fiscal 2026 results showing GAAP revenue up 1% to $410 million, operating income up 21% to $63 million, and diluted EPS improving to $0.56 from a loss a year earlier. Adjusted results at constant curr...
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.