John Wiley & Sons (NYSE:WLY) Shares Down 5.2% - Here's Why

Key Points

• John Wiley & Sons shares experienced a 5.2% decline on Wednesday, trading as low as $36.23, with volume down 42% compared to the average session.
• The company reported Q2 earnings of $0.49 per share, falling short of the $0.50 consensus estimate, with revenue for the quarter at $396.8 million, which exceeded analyst expectations.
• John Wiley & Sons announced a $0.355 quarterly dividend set to be paid on October 23rd, representing a dividend yield of 3.9% and a payout ratio of 79.78%.

John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (NYSE:WLY - Get Free Report) shares traded down 5.2% on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $36.23 and last traded at $36.36. 258,444 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 42% from the average session volume of 443,698 shares. The stock had previously closed at $38.33.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of John Wiley & Sons from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, September 6th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of John Wiley & Sons in a research note on Saturday, September 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold".

John Wiley & Sons Price Performance

The company has a market cap of $1.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.72 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12. The company's fifty day moving average price is $39.97 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $41.35.

John Wiley & Sons (NYSE:WLY - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, September 4th. The company reported $0.49 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.50 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $396.80 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $375.00 million. John Wiley & Sons had a net margin of 5.82% and a return on equity of 27.31%. The firm's quarterly revenue was down 1.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.47 EPS. John Wiley & Sons has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.900-4.350 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that John Wiley & Sons, Inc. will post 3.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

John Wiley & Sons Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 23rd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, October 7th will be issued a $0.355 dividend. This represents a $1.42 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.9%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, October 7th. John Wiley & Sons's dividend payout ratio is 79.78%.

John Wiley & Sons declared that its board has authorized a stock buyback plan on Thursday, June 26th that authorizes the company to repurchase $250.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to buy up to 10.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company's leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in John Wiley & Sons by 519.8% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 564 shares of the company's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 473 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. acquired a new position in John Wiley & Sons during the first quarter worth $29,000. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH acquired a new position in John Wiley & Sons during the second quarter worth $31,000. Whittier Trust Co. acquired a new position in John Wiley & Sons during the second quarter worth $33,000. Finally, State of Wyoming boosted its holdings in John Wiley & Sons by 23.6% during the first quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 1,298 shares of the company's stock worth $58,000 after purchasing an additional 248 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.94% of the company's stock.

About John Wiley & Sons

John Wiley & Sons, Inc engages in the provision of research and learning materials. It operates through the following segments: Research, Learning, and Held for Sale or Sold. The Research segment consists of research publishing and research solutions. The Learning segment includes academic and professional reporting lines and consists of publishing and related knowledge solutions.

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