John Wiley & Sons Q4 2026 Results
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (NYSE:WLY) reported fourth‑quarter 2026 results that beat earnings expectations but fell short on revenue. The company posted adjusted earnings per share of $1.67 for the quarter ended April 30, 2026, surpassing the analyst consensus of $1.55 by $0.12. Revenue for the quarter was $447.9 million, missing the consensus estimate of $451.5 million, although it represented a 1 % year‑over‑year increase from $442.6 million in the comparable prior‑year period.
For the full fiscal year 2026, revenue totaled $1,677 million, essentially flat versus the prior year. Wiley issued fiscal 2027 adjusted EPS guidance of $4.60 to $5.05, with a midpoint of $4.83, which significantly exceeds the analyst consensus of $4.20. The company also projected an adjusted EBITDA margin range of 26.5 % to 27.5 % and free cash flow of $205 million for fiscal 2027.
"Fiscal 2026 was Wiley’s breakout year," said Matthew Kissner, President and CEO. "We accelerated our two reinforcing growth engines — Research and AI and data analytics – while delivering record margins and a significant step change in Free Cash Flow."
Segment performance showed the Research segment delivering $296 million in revenue for Q4, a 5 % increase year‑over‑year, driven by strong growth in gold open‑access and AI licensing. Within Research, Research Publishing grew 5 % at constant currency, while Research Solutions declined 4 % due to a soft recruitment market. The Learning segment recorded revenue of $152 million for Q4, a 7 % decline at constant currency, reflecting macro headwinds and softness in the retail channel.
AI‑related revenue grew 23 % to $49 million for the full year, and cumulative lifetime AI revenue surpassed $110 million. The company returned a record $174 million to shareholders during fiscal 2026 through dividends and share repurchases.