John Wiley & Sons

John Wiley & Sons, founded in 1807, publishes research and educational content. Its customers include university, corporate and government libraries, research funders, scientists, professional societies, students and instructors. Most of the business is digital. In the fiscal year ended April 30, 2026, 85% of its $1.68 billion in revenue came from digital products and services. Another measure: 48% of revenue was recurring, which means it was under contract or very likely to repeat.

Research, about 67% of revenue, is built on more than 1,900 peer-reviewed journals, whose articles are checked by outside experts. Libraries pay subscriptions to read them. Authors or their funders pay fees to publish articles anyone can read free, which is called open access. “Transformational agreements” combine both for one up-front fee paid by groups of libraries. About 46% of journal subscription revenue comes from journals owned by, or shared with, partners such as the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society, which generally receive royalties. Wiley also licenses content, including for training AI models, and sells advertising, recruitment and publishing-platform services.

Learning, about 33% of revenue, sells academic and professional books, courseware (online course materials) and assessments. By region, the US produced 51% of fiscal 2026 revenue, the UK 29% and Germany 12%.

• In Q1 FY2027 (ended Jul 31, 2026), revenue was $386.4M, down 2.6% from a year earlier, and net income was $-11.7M (-200.2%).
• For fiscal 2026, revenue was $1.68B (-0.1% year over year; -2.9% a year from FY2021 to FY2026) with a 13.2% net margin.

• Over FY2022–FY2026: $270.6M in buybacks and $381.9M in dividends.
• Regular dividend per share increased 1 years in a row.
• Regular dividends per share grew +0.5% a year over 5 years (FY2021–FY2026).
• Dividends took 33.6% of earnings and 35.5% of free cash flow in the latest fiscal year.

Rank among 1514 US companies

Form 4 filings from 2025-10-29 to 2026-10-29 (25 read): 0 open-market purchases and 0 sales ($0.00).

Large shareholders (13G filings)

ETFs with the most weight in WLY

1. AI could disrupt sales and invite copying. Wiley is counting on licensing content for AI. But AI tools could also bring new competitors, eat into sales of existing products, and make unauthorized copying of its copyrighted work harder to catch.
2. Cuts to US research funding. Wiley's journals rely on researchers and on the libraries and funders that pay for their work. Cuts or limits on federal research funding, or changes in US higher education policy, could shrink that spending.
3. Losing journal partners or authors to rivals. About 46% of journal subscription revenue comes from journals owned by, or shared with, societies and other partners under long-term contracts. If rivals lure away these societies or authors, that revenue could shrink.
4. Flawed or fraudulent papers in its journals. The company lists a lack of integrity in its published research as a risk. Faked or flawed papers that slip past peer review could damage trust in its journals and hurt sales.
5. Fewer students and cheaper textbooks. The Learning segment, about a third of revenue, sells academic and professional books and courseware. Lower college enrollment, or buyers shifting to digital and lower-cost books, could cut both volumes and prices.
6. Large debt and access to credit. As of July 31, 2026, Wiley had about $1.29 billion of debt against $106 million of cash and investments. Its annual report warns that market turmoil could make it harder to raise money it needs.

• Sep 29, 2026 Shareholder vote results
• Sep 3, 2026 Quarterly results released; Investor presentation or announcement
• Jul 9, 2026 Executive or board change
• Jun 25, 2026 Other company announcement
• Jun 16, 2026 Quarterly results released; Investor presentation or announcement
• Jun 15, 2026 Executive or board change
• Jun 2, 2026 Major agreement signed; Acquisition or sale of assets completed; Investor presentation or announcement
• May 6, 2026 Executive or board change
• Mar 5, 2026 Quarterly results released; Investor presentation or announcement
• Dec 10, 2025 Other company announcement

Wiley pays a dividend, with a yield of 2.85% as of October 28, 2026. Dividends per share have barely grown, from about $1.36 in fiscal 2021 to $1.40 in fiscal 2026, or roughly 0.5% a year. A dip in fiscal 2025 means the streak of increases is one year. In fiscal 2026 the dividend used 34% of earnings and 36% of free cash flow (cash left after capital spending). Profits have been uneven: Wiley lost $3.65 per share in fiscal 2024 but kept paying. Share buybacks have risen every year, reaching about $100 million in fiscal 2026.

The price record here covers only about 4.6 years ending October 28, 2026. So it does not show how the shares held up in the 2008 financial crisis, the 2020 COVID crash or the 2022 bear market. Within that span the shares fell as much as 44% from a peak, and they dropped 27% in calendar 2025. As a single stock, Wiley carries more risk than a diversified fund.