Companies /Communication Services

John Wiley & Sons Inc - Class A

NYSE: WLY Publishing
$48.26
▲ $0.50 (+1.04%) today
Markets open · 10:36am ET

Q1 2027 Earnings

Reported Sep 3, 2026, 9:08am ET · SEC source
$0.44
Beat +10.00%
EPS · est. $0.40 Adjusted
$386.4M
Beat +1.62%
Revenue · est. $380.2M
4 quarters
Consecutive EPS beats

Market Reaction

% change · around the report
−5%0+5%+10%Sep 3Sep 4report 9:08am ETearnings+0.5%−1.8%
−5%0+5%+10%Sep 3Sep 4earnings+0.5%−1.8%
WLY −1.8%S&P 500 +0.5%
−5%0+5%+10%Sep 3Sep 4report 9:08am ETearnings+1.4%−1.8%
−5%0+5%+10%Sep 3Sep 4earnings+1.4%−1.8%
WLY −1.8%NASDAQ +1.4%
−10%−5%0Sep 2Sep 11report 9:08am ETearnings−0.7%−13.4%
−10%−5%0Sep 2Sep 11earnings−0.7%−13.4%
WLY −13.4%S&P 500 −0.7%
−10%−5%0Sep 2Sep 11report 9:08am ETearnings+0.2%−13.4%
−10%−5%0Sep 2Sep 11earnings+0.2%−13.4%
WLY −13.4%NASDAQ +0.2%
−0.76%
Day of report
−4.88%
Next session
−7.17%
One week

Did WLY Beat Earnings? Q1 2027 Results

John Wiley & Sons posted a mixed but ultimately encouraging fiscal first quarter for 2027, with adjusted EPS of $0.44 beating the $0.40 consensus by 10.00% even as total revenue slipped 2.6% year over year to $386.36 million, edging past analyst estimates of $380.20 million by 1.62%. The headline tension of the quarter was the tug-of-war between a resilient Research segment, where revenue climbed 4% to $293.49 million on strong open-access demand and AI licensing activity, and a struggling Learning division, where revenue tumbled 19% to $92.87 million partly because of tough prior-year AI licensing comparisons. The June closing of the Emerald Publishing acquisition added roughly $13.00 million in Research Publishing revenue but also elevated restructuring and integration costs, pushing Wiley to a GAAP net loss of $11.73 million for the period. On the product side, the company's newly launched spectral analysis API portfolio underscores its broader push into higher-margin data revenue streams. Management reaffirmed full-year FY2027 guidance, targeting adjusted EPS of $4.60 to $5.05 and free cash flow of $205.00 million.

Key Takeaways
  • Research Publishing growth driven by Emerald acquisition ($13M in two months), gold open access growth, and AI licensing
  • Research Solutions decline due to prior year AI licensing comparison ($16M prior year vs. $4M current quarter)
  • Learning decline reflecting $13M of prior year AI licensing comparisons and softness in consumer and corporate spending
  • Corporate expenses improved 19% ($8M) through technology transformation and restructuring savings
  • Adjusted EBITDA margin in Research expanded 130 basis points to 29.6%
  • Higher interest expense related to Emerald acquisition financing

“We delivered the quarter we planned for, and the momentum between Research and AI keeps building: Research is fueling the trusted content that accelerates AI, and AI is driving the productivity that accelerates Research.”

John Wiley & Sons CEO, on the earnings call

Forward Guidance & Outlook

Wiley reaffirmed its full-year FY2027 outlook: Organic Revenue Growth of low-to-mid single digits (Research: mid-single digit growth); Adjusted EBITDA Margin of 26.5% to 27.5%; Adjusted EPS of $4.60 to $5.05; Free Cash Flow of $205 million. Emerald is projected to add $78 million in revenue (11 months), be accretive to Adjusted EPS by approximately $0.10, and dilutive to Free Cash Flow by $15 million in Year 1. Organic revenue growth is expected to be driven by core Research growth and AI/data analytics momentum. AI licensing comparisons are expected to normalize over the balance of the year and Learning demand is expected to stabilize. Capex is expected to increase to $80 million from $65 million in FY26.

WLY YoY Financials

Q1 2027 vs Q1 2026 · SEC filings Q1 2026 Q1 2027
$0$200.0M$400.0M$396.8M$386.4MRevenue$34.0M$2.9MOperating Income
$0$200.0M$400.0MRevenueOperating Income

WLY Revenue by Segment

Research Publishing$258.9M+12.0%
Academic$44.7M−19.0%
Professional$48.1M−19.0%
Research Solutions$34.6M−31.0%

Figures from SEC filings and company reports. Not investment advice.