John Wiley & Sons (NYSE:WLY) Hits New 12-Month High on Earnings Beat

Key Points

• John Wiley & Sons hit a new 52-week high after reporting quarterly earnings that topped expectations, with EPS of $1.67 versus the $1.65 consensus.
• Revenue came in at $447.94 million, slightly below estimates, even as the company posted year-over-year growth and strong profitability metrics including a 9.24% net margin and 28.38% return on equity.
• Investors also focused on FY2027 guidance of $4.60 to $5.05 EPS, which was viewed as only modestly ahead of expectations and may have tempered enthusiasm despite record margins and cash flow strength.

John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (NYSE:WLY - Get Free Report) shares reached a new 52-week high on Wednesday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The stock traded as high as $45.88 and last traded at $45.1850, with a volume of 44221 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $45.09.

The company reported $1.67 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.65 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $447.94 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $450.00 million. John Wiley & Sons had a net margin of 9.24% and a return on equity of 28.38%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.37 EPS. John Wiley & Sons has set its FY 2027 guidance at 4.600-5.050 EPS.

John Wiley & Sons Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 23rd. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 7th were paid a $0.355 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, April 7th. This represents a $1.42 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.2%. John Wiley & Sons's payout ratio is currently 49.48%.

Key Stories Impacting John Wiley & Sons

Here are the key news stories impacting John Wiley & Sons this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wiley reported adjusted Q4 EPS of $1.67, edging past analysts’ estimate of $1.65, while full-year operating income rose 25% and diluted EPS increased sharply year over year. Research and AI Momentum, Record Margins, and Cash Flow Growth Highlight Wiley's Fourth Quarter and Fiscal 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management pointed to record margins, stronger cash flow, and momentum in research and AI-related offerings, which supports the company’s longer-term growth narrative. John Wiley & Sons Inc (WLY) Q4 2026 Earnings Call Highlights: Record Margins and Strategic ...
• Neutral Sentiment: Fiscal Q4 revenue of $447.94 million was slightly below the $450 million consensus estimate, suggesting modest top-line softness despite solid earnings. Earnings report and conference call details
• Negative Sentiment: Wiley’s FY2027 EPS guidance of $4.60 to $5.05 was only around in line with, or slightly below, the market’s expectation near $4.68 at the midpoint, which may have disappointed investors looking for a bigger outlook boost. John Wiley & Sons stock overview
• Negative Sentiment: Market commentary noted the shares falling after the Q4 results, indicating the earnings release and guidance were not enough to sustain the recent rally. Crude Oil Down 5%; John Wiley & Sons Shares Fall After Q4 Results

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have issued reports on WLY shares. Zacks Research cut John Wiley & Sons from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of John Wiley & Sons from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold".

Institutional Investors Weigh In On John Wiley & Sons

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Lido Advisors LLC raised its position in John Wiley & Sons by 5.7% in the 3rd quarter. Lido Advisors LLC now owns 5,513 shares of the company's stock valued at $223,000 after purchasing an additional 298 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of John Wiley & Sons by 3.3% in the fourth quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 11,321 shares of the company's stock valued at $347,000 after buying an additional 361 shares in the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC increased its stake in shares of John Wiley & Sons by 2.2% in the third quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 19,628 shares of the company's stock valued at $794,000 after buying an additional 422 shares in the last quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors raised its holdings in shares of John Wiley & Sons by 3.6% in the fourth quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 12,203 shares of the company's stock valued at $374,000 after buying an additional 429 shares during the last quarter. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in John Wiley & Sons by 519.8% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 564 shares of the company's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 473 shares in the last quarter. 73.94% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

John Wiley & Sons Trading Down 0.9%

The company's 50-day moving average is $41.52 and its 200-day moving average is $35.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a current ratio of 0.59. The firm has a market cap of $2.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.65 and a beta of 0.80.

About John Wiley & Sons

John Wiley & Sons, Inc is a global publishing and educational services company founded in 1807 and headquartered in Hoboken, New Jersey. The company operates through two primary segments: Research & Publishing and Education. Through these segments, Wiley produces a wide range of scholarly journals, books, reference works and digital products for academic, scientific, technical and medical markets, as well as professional development and higher education learning resources.

In its Research & Publishing segment, Wiley publishes thousands of peer-reviewed journals and maintains the Wiley Online Library, a leading platform for scientific and scholarly content.

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