John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (WLYB) Financial Ratios
30 years of historical data (1997–2026) · Communication Services · Publishing
EV/EBITDA
↓
6.91
↓-20% vs avg
5yr avg: 8.65
30Y Low6.5·High12.8
P/FCF
↓
11.29
↓-26% vs avg
5yr avg: 15.23
30Y Low7.0·High29.2
P/B Ratio
↓
2.83
+7% vs avg
5yr avg: 2.64
30Y Low2.0·High8.3
ROE
↑
27.7%
↓+341% vs avg
5yr avg: 6.3%
30Y Low-22%·High31%
Debt/EBITDA
↓
1.74
↓-29% vs avg
5yr avg: 2.45
30Y Low0.6·High4.0
Percentile shows where the current value sits in 30-year historical distribution. Sparklines show 5-year trend.
WLYB Valuation Multiples
Price-based multiples — how expensive the stock is relative to earnings, sales, book value, and cash flow
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. trades at 10.8x earnings, 76% below its 5-year average of 44.7x, sitting at the 4th percentile of its historical range. Compared to the Communication Services sector median P/E of 15.3x, the stock trades at a discount of 29%. On a free-cash-flow basis, the stock trades at 11.3x P/FCF, 26% below the 5-year average of 15.2x.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2026 | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Cap | $2.4B | $2.2B | $2.4B | $2.1B | $2.1B | $3.0B | $3.2B | $2.2B | $2.7B | $3.9B | $3.1B |
| Enterprise Value | $3.1B | $2.9B | $3.2B | $2.9B | $2.9B | $3.8B | $4.1B | $2.9B | $3.0B | $4.1B | $3.4B |
| P/E Ratio → | 10.83 | 9.90 | 28.40 | — | 120.42 | 20.13 | 21.79 | — | 15.82 | 20.31 | 27.23 |
| P/S Ratio | 1.41 | 1.31 | 1.42 | 1.11 | 1.04 | 1.43 | 1.67 | 1.18 | 1.48 | 2.17 | 1.80 |
| P/B Ratio | 2.83 | 2.59 | 3.17 | 2.82 | 2.01 | 2.61 | 2.97 | 2.32 | 2.25 | 3.28 | 3.08 |
| P/FCF | 11.29 | 10.48 | 19.88 | 19.72 | 12.35 | 13.73 | 14.28 | 10.95 | 16.22 | 16.76 | 15.16 |
| P/OCF | 9.08 | 8.42 | 11.76 | 10.06 | 7.59 | 8.80 | 8.99 | 7.52 | 10.62 | 10.44 | 9.82 |
P/E links to full P/E history page with 30-year chart
WLYB EV Ratios
Enterprise-value multiples — capital-structure-neutral measures of total business value
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.'s enterprise value stands at 6.9x EBITDA, 20% below its 5-year average of 8.6x. The Communication Services sector median is 9.7x, placing the stock at a 28% discount on an enterprise-value basis.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2026 | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EV / Revenue | — | 1.72 | 1.90 | 1.54 | 1.43 | 1.84 | 2.13 | 1.60 | 1.69 | 2.28 | 1.98 |
| EV / EBITDA | 6.91 | 6.53 | 8.65 | 12.61 | 6.75 | 8.70 | 10.57 | 7.83 | 7.92 | 10.40 | 9.36 |
| EV / EBIT | 10.33 | 9.75 | 16.35 | — | 37.98 | 16.98 | 21.68 | — | 13.31 | 18.01 | 16.32 |
| EV / FCF | — | 13.79 | 26.67 | 27.31 | 16.91 | 17.60 | 18.23 | 14.76 | 18.57 | 17.58 | 16.66 |
WLYB Profitability
Margins and return-on-capital ratios measuring operating efficiency
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. earns an operating margin of 17.7%, significantly above the Communication Services sector average of 1.6%. Operating margins have expanded from 2.8% to 17.7% over the past 3 years, signaling improving operational efficiency. ROE of 27.7% indicates solid capital efficiency. ROIC of 14.3% represents solid returns on invested capital.
Margins
Full margin charts and quarterly trend are on the Earnings History page
| Metric | TTM | FY 2026 | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | 71.1% | 71.1% | 74.3% | 69.0% | 65.7% | 66.4% | 67.8% | 67.7% | 69.2% | 73.0% | 73.2% |
| Operating Margin | 17.7% | 17.7% | 13.2% | 2.8% | 10.3% | 10.5% | 9.6% | 10.6% | 12.4% | 13.3% | 12.0% |
| Net Profit Margin | 13.2% | 13.2% | 5.0% | -10.7% | 0.9% | 7.1% | 7.6% | -4.1% | 9.3% | 10.7% | 6.6% |
Return on Capital
| Metric | TTM | FY 2026 | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROE | 27.7% | 27.7% | 11.3% | -22.4% | 1.6% | 13.3% | 14.6% | -7.0% | 14.2% | 17.5% | 11.1% |
| ROA | 8.4% | 8.4% | 3.1% | -6.9% | 0.5% | 4.4% | 4.5% | -2.4% | 5.8% | 7.1% | 4.1% |
| ROIC | 14.3% | 14.3% | 10.7% | 2.3% | 8.2% | 8.3% | 7.6% | 8.9% | 11.4% | 13.4% | 11.9% |
| ROCE | 16.1% | 16.1% | 11.9% | 2.6% | 9.1% | 9.0% | 7.9% | 9.0% | 11.1% | 12.7% | 10.4% |
WLYB Leverage & Debt
Solvency and debt-coverage ratios — lower is generally safer
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. carries a Debt/EBITDA ratio of 1.7x, which is manageable (52% below the sector average of 3.6x). Net debt stands at $693M ($769M total debt minus $76M cash). Interest coverage of 6.8x is adequate, though a cyclical earnings downturn could tighten the margin of safety.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2026 | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debt / Equity | 0.91 | 0.91 | 1.20 | 1.20 | 0.85 | 0.82 | 0.91 | 1.02 | 0.41 | 0.30 | 0.36 |
| Debt / EBITDA | 1.74 | 1.74 | 2.43 | 3.87 | 2.07 | 2.14 | 2.53 | 2.56 | 1.24 | 0.91 | 1.01 |
| Net Debt / Equity | — | 0.82 | 1.08 | 1.09 | 0.74 | 0.74 | 0.82 | 0.81 | 0.33 | 0.16 | 0.31 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 1.57 | 1.57 | 2.20 | 3.51 | 1.82 | 1.91 | 2.29 | 2.02 | 1.00 | 0.48 | 0.84 |
| Debt / FCF | — | 3.31 | 6.79 | 7.59 | 4.56 | 3.86 | 3.95 | 3.81 | 2.35 | 0.82 | 1.50 |
| Interest Coverage | 6.75 | 6.75 | 3.72 | -2.82 | 2.01 | 11.38 | 10.37 | -1.50 | 11.00 | 17.12 | 13.14 |
WLYB Liquidity & Efficiency
Short-term solvency ratios and asset-utilisation metrics
The current ratio of 0.54x is below 1.0, meaning current liabilities exceed current assets.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2026 | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio | 0.54 | 0.54 | 0.54 | 0.52 | 0.60 | 0.57 | 0.53 | 0.66 | 0.56 | 0.55 | 0.46 |
| Quick Ratio | 0.51 | 0.51 | 0.51 | 0.49 | 0.57 | 0.53 | 0.49 | 0.62 | 0.52 | 0.50 | 0.40 |
| Cash Ratio | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.12 | 0.10 | 0.09 | 0.22 | 0.11 | 0.19 | 0.07 |
| Asset Turnover | — | 0.65 | 0.62 | 0.69 | 0.65 | 0.62 | 0.56 | 0.58 | 0.61 | 0.63 | 0.66 |
| Inventory Turnover | 25.15 | 25.15 | 18.86 | 22.11 | 22.53 | 19.15 | 14.70 | 13.55 | 15.59 | 12.29 | 9.63 |
| Days Sales Outstanding | — | 53.16 | 49.70 | 43.69 | 56.04 | 58.17 | 58.58 | 61.66 | 62.18 | 43.16 | 40.07 |
WLYB Shareholder Yields
Earnings, FCF, buyback, and dividend yields — total returns to shareholders
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. returns 7.3% to shareholders annually — split between a 3.1% dividend yield and 4.2% buyback yield. The payout ratio of 33.6% is conservative, leaving significant room for dividend growth or reinvestment. The earnings yield of 9.2% (inverse of P/E) provides a useful comparison to bond yields when assessing the stock's relative attractiveness to fixed income.
Dividends
Full dividend history and growth charts are on the Dividend History page
| Metric | TTM | FY 2026 | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield | 3.1% | 3.4% | 3.2% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 2.6% | 2.4% | 3.5% | 2.8% | 1.9% | 2.3% |
| Payout Ratio | 33.6% | 33.6% | 90.4% | — | 448.5% | 52.1% | 51.9% | — | 45.0% | 38.3% | 63.0% |
Total Shareholder Return Metrics
| Metric | TTM | FY 2026 | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earnings Yield | 9.2% | 10.1% | 3.5% | — | 0.8% | 5.0% | 4.6% | — | 6.3% | 4.9% | 3.7% |
| FCF Yield | 8.9% | 9.5% | 5.0% | 5.1% | 8.1% | 7.3% | 7.0% | 9.1% | 6.2% | 6.0% | 6.6% |
| Buyback Yield | 4.2% | 4.6% | 2.5% | 2.2% | 1.7% | 1.0% | 0.5% | 2.1% | 2.3% | 1.0% | 1.6% |
| Total Shareholder Yield | 7.3% | 8.0% | 5.7% | 5.8% | 5.3% | 3.6% | 2.9% | 5.7% | 5.1% | 2.9% | 3.9% |
| Shares Outstanding | — | $53M | $55M | $55M | $56M | $57M | $56M | $56M | $58M | $58M | $58M |
Peer Comparison
Compare WLYB with 10 similar companies in its peer group
| Company | Market Cap | P/E | EV/EBITDA | P/FCF | Gross Margin | Op Margin | ROE | ROIC | Debt/EBITDA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 WLYBYou | $2B | 10.8 | 6.9 | 11.3 | 71.1% | 17.7% | 27.7% | 14.3% | 1.7 |
 PSO | $9B | 18.0 | 7.6 | 14.2 | 51.0% | 15.2% | 10.8% | 8.3% | 1.4 |
 SCHL | $1B | -618.2 | 9.7 | 14.3 | 51.7% | 1.3% | -0.2% | 1.4% | 2.8 |
 SSP | $333M | -1.5 | 266.2 | 51.0 | 33.7% | 7.5% | -7.9% | 3.1% | 239.5 |
 RELX | $56B | 22.7 | 15.4 | 16.3 | 65.0% | 30.3% | 55.7% | 21.8% | 2.1 |
 NWSA | $14B | 11.9 | 10.1 | 19.0 | 100.0% | 11.3% | 12.8% | 6.8% | 2.1 |
 GCI | $877M | -33.1 | 18.1 | 17.3 | 38.4% | -1.7% | -11.2% | -2.3% | 11.3 |
 NYT | $12B | 34.5 | 21.0 | 21.2 | 50.8% | 16.0% | 17.3% | 18.7% | 0.1 |
 SGRY | $2B | -23.9 | 10.1 | 9.7 | 23.1% | 11.8% | -2.2% | 4.1% | 7.1 |
 COUR | $899M | -17.1 | — | 8.4 | 54.6% | -10.3% | -8.3% | — | — |
 GOOG | $4.2T | 32.3 | 28.3 | 57.6 | 59.7% | 32.1% | 35.7% | 25.1% | 0.4 |
| Communication Services Median | — | 15.3 | 9.7 | 11.2 | 48.5% | 1.6% | 2.0% | 2.6% | 3.6 |
Peer selection based on competitive and market overlap. Compare multiple stocks →
Download Financial Ratios Data
Includes 30+ ratios · 30 years · Updated daily
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WLYB — Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying WLYB stock.
What is John Wiley & Sons, Inc.'s P/E ratio?
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.'s current P/E ratio is 10.8x. The historical average is 24.5x. This places it at the 4th percentile of its historical range.
What is John Wiley & Sons, Inc.'s EV/EBITDA?
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.'s current EV/EBITDA is 6.9x. This enterprise value multiple compares the company's total value (equity + debt - cash) to its EBITDA. The historical average is 9.7x.
What is John Wiley & Sons, Inc.'s ROE?
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.'s return on equity (ROE) is 27.7%. This is above the typical threshold of 15-20% considered good for most companies. The historical average is 17.4%.
Is WLYB stock overvalued?
Based on historical data, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. is trading at a P/E of 10.8x. This is at the 4th percentile of its historical P/E range. Compare with industry peers and growth rates for a complete picture.
What is John Wiley & Sons, Inc.'s dividend yield?
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.'s current dividend yield is 3.10% with a payout ratio of 33.6%.
What are John Wiley & Sons, Inc.'s profit margins?
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. has 71.1% gross margin and 17.7% operating margin. Operating margin between 10-20% is typical for established companies.
How much debt does John Wiley & Sons, Inc. have?
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.'s Debt/EBITDA ratio is 1.7x, indicating moderate leverage. A ratio below 2x is generally considered financially healthy.