# John Wiley & Sons Inc. (WLY) fundamentals

Data as of 2026-09-08. NYSE, United States. Sector: Communication Services / Diversified Telecommunication Services. Price $48.19, market value $2.4 billion.

## Valuation
- **P/E (trailing): 13.0×** (5-yr avg 41.1×, 3-yr avg 18.5×). John Wiley & Sons Inc. trades at 13.0× trailing earnings, well below its own five-year average of 41.1×: cheap by its own standards. The Communication Services median in the September 2026 study was 21.1×. Forward P/E is 9.1×, lower than trailing, so analysts expect earnings to grow.
- **PEG: 0.05**. A PEG of 0.05 means the P/E is low relative to expected earnings growth: the market is not paying much for that growth.
- **Price / sales: 1.5×**. Each dollar of revenue is priced at 1.5×.
- **Price / book: 2.9×**. The shares trade at 2.9× book value; book value is a meaningful part of the valuation.
- **EV / EBITDA: 7.8×**. Enterprise value is 7.8× operating earnings before depreciation, the multiple that ignores how the company is financed; below 8× is inexpensive for most sectors.
- **Free-cash-flow yield: 9.8%** (5-yr avg 8.6%). Free cash flow equals 9.8% of the market value, in line with its five-year average of 8.6%. Above 5% is generally attractive.
- **Earnings yield: 7.7%**. The inverse of the P/E: 7.7% of the price is earned each year.

## Profitability
- **Operating margin: 14.9%**. 14.9% of revenue is left after running the business.
- **Net margin: 13.2%**. 13.2% of each dollar of sales reaches the bottom line.
- **Return on equity: 26.1%**. 26.1% on shareholders' equity is excellent if it is not driven by leverage; sustained above 20% usually signals a competitive advantage.
- **Return on invested capital: 13.5%**. Return on all capital, debt included, is 13.5%.
- **Return on assets: 7.6%**. Each dollar of assets produces 7.6% of profit.

## Growth
- **Revenue growth (1 yr): -0.1%** (3-yr -6.0%/yr, 5-yr -2.9%/yr). Revenue fell 0.1% over the last year, against -2.9% a year compounded over five years: growth is accelerating.
- **EPS growth (1 yr): 171.9%** (3-yr 137.6%/yr, 5-yr 9.6%/yr). Earnings per share rose 171.9%, faster than revenue, so margins expanded or the share count shrank.
- **Free-cash-flow growth (3 yr): 2.2%/yr**. Free cash flow has compounded at 2.2% a year over three years, lagging earnings: check whether profits are turning into cash.

## Financial health
- **Debt to equity: 0.81**. Debt is 0.81 times equity, moderate leverage.
- **Net debt / EBITDA: 1.5×**. It would take 1.5 years of operating earnings to repay net borrowings, within the comfortable range.
- **Altman Z-score: 2.30**. A Z-score of 2.30 is in the grey zone; not distressed, not clearly safe.
- **Piotroski F-score: 7/9**. 7 of 9 fundamental checks pass: strong and improving financials.

## Dividends
- **Dividend yield: 2.95%** ($1.42 per share, trailing). John Wiley & Sons Inc. yields 2.95%, a modest yield more typical of a growth-oriented payer.
- **Payout ratio: 34%** (31% of free cash flow). 34% of earnings goes out as dividends, leaving room to keep raising it.
- **Consecutive years of increases: 26**. 26 straight years of increases (the data covers 26 years, so this may be longer): a record very few companies hold.
- **Dividend growth (5 yr): 0.7%/yr** (1-yr 0.7%). The dividend has grown 0.7% a year over five years.

## Analyst view
- **Analyst consensus: buy** (1 analyst). 1 analysts cover John Wiley & Sons Inc.; the consensus is buy, with an average price target of $68.00 (+41% from the current price). Analyst opinion is shown for context; it is not part of the Fundamental Score.

## Price and momentum
- **Total return (1 yr): 30.7%** (YTD 59.9%, 3-mo 9.9%). The shares are up 30.7% over twelve months including dividends.
- **From 52-week high: -16.1%** (69.8% above the low). Trading 16% below its 52-week high.
- **200-day average: above**. The price sits above its 200-day moving average, the usual definition of an uptrend.
- **RSI (14-day): 36**. An RSI of 36 is neutral.
- **Beta (1 yr): 0.22** (volatility 37%). Beta of 0.22 against the S&P 500: the shares move much less than the market.

Live score and charts: https://foliofundamentals.com/analyzer?s=WLY · Page: https://foliofundamentals.com/stocks/wly

Not investment advice.