John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (WLY) Earnings Call Transcripts

John Wiley & Sons, Inc.'s Latest Earnings Call - Q4 FY2026

In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. reported flat revenue of $200 million, missing the low single-digit growth guidance due to learning headwinds. However, adjusted EBITDA rose 17% to $66 million, driven by margin improvements and cost reductions. The company announced the acquisition of Emerald Publishing for approximately $450 million, which is expected to enhance its research and AI capabilities, contributing to adjusted EPS guidance of $4.60 to $5.05 for fiscal 2027, up from $4.19 in fiscal 2026.

Reported metrics

Guidance from management

For fiscal 2027, Wiley expects organic revenue growth of low to mid-single digits, adjusted EBITDA margin of 26.5% to 27.5%, and adjusted EPS of $4.60 to $5.05, including a $0.10 contribution from Emerald.

What management said

Again, we're not guiding at the segment level here. But as a matter overall, we are expecting revenue growth and margin expansion heading into next year, and we're pulling on all the levers inside of our portfolio to make that happen.

Yes there's always some audit at the end of the fiscal. Dan, you've seen this before where certain deals just kind of fall over into the new fiscal. So it's -- it's nothing we're really concerned about. It will catch up in the fourth quarter first quarter.

What analysts pressed on

Analysts expressed concerns about the learning segment's performance, particularly the 5% decline in academic revenue and 10% decline in professional revenue. There were also questions regarding the integration of Emerald and its impact on margins and cash flow in the near term.

Main topics on the call

• Emerald Acquisition — Wiley acquired Emerald Publishing for approximately $450 million, enhancing its research and AI capabilities. Management stated, "Emerald is squarely in our wheelhouse," and is expected to be modestly accretive to adjust...
• AI Revenue Growth — AI revenue grew from $40 million to $49 million, with management projecting over $50 million for fiscal 2027. They noted, "Recurring revenue is expected to scale rapidly from our multiyear partnerships and increasing cor...
• Margin Expansion — Adjusted EBITDA margin rose 480 basis points to 33.2% in Q4, driven by cost reductions. Management highlighted, "We see continued margin opportunity through technology transformation and organizational efficiency."
• Learning Segment Challenges — The learning segment faced a 5% decline in academic revenue and a 10% decline in professional revenue, attributed to market-related challenges. Management indicated, "We expect learning trends to improve in fiscal '27 wi...

Read the full John Wiley & Sons, Inc. transcript (Q4 FY2026) → Summary generated from the call transcript; every figure above is stated by management on the record.

Earnings Call History

EarningsCalls.dev has 30 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. earnings call transcripts on record, spanning March 4, 2020 to June 16, 2026. Based on this history, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. reports quarterly. The most recent call on file is dated June 16, 2026. The full list is below — each row opens the complete, free-to-read transcript.

Ticker

WLY

Exchange

NYSE

Country

US

Sector

Communication Services

Industry

Media

Calls on record

30

First call

March 4, 2020

Most recent

June 16, 2026

Reporting cadence

quarterly