Wiley Q2 2026: AI Gains, Research Growth, Margins Up

HOBOKEN, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Wiley (NYSE: WLY), a global leader in authoritative content and research intelligence for the advancement of scientific discovery, innovation, and learning, today reported results for the second quarter ended October 31, 2025.

SECOND QUARTER SUMMARY

• GAAP performance vs. prior year: Revenue of $422 million vs. $427 million including foregone revenue of $3 million from divested businesses; Operating Income of $73 million up 14%; and Diluted Earnings Per Share (EPS) of $0.84 up 14%
• Adjusted Results at constant currency: Adjusted Revenue of $422 million down 1% with solid Research growth more than offset by market-related declines in Learning; Adjusted Operating Income of $79 million up 14% and margin of 18.8% up 250 basis points; Adjusted EBITDA of $115 million up 8% and margin of 27.3% up 240 basis points; and Adjusted EPS of $1.10 up 12%
• Delivered strong growth and margin expansion in Research driven by global demand to publish, read, and license
• Executed $6 million content licensing projectfor AI model training; $35 million realized year-to-date
• Reduced Corporate Expenses (Adjusted EBITDA) by 18% at constant currency as part of multi-year margin expansion initiatives
• Delivered YTD Operating Cash Flow and Free Cash Flow improvement of 19% and 17%, respectively
• Increased share repurchases by 69% over prior year period to $21 million with Wiley's dividend yield around 3.9%

MANAGEMENT COMMENTARY

"We continue to deliver strong performance in Research and accelerating momentum in AI as we capitalize on record research volume and expanding corporate R&D opportunities," said Matthew Kissner, President and CEO. "In Research, strong global demand is driving defensible growth in our recurring revenue and open access models. In AI, we are turning high-value knowledge into impact through the execution of content licensing projects for large language models and corporate AI applications. Finally, operational excellence and margin expansion are a way of life for us as we continuously optimize our cost structure, drive investment and expense discipline, and advance our transformative publishing platform."

FINANCIAL SUMMARY

Please see the accompanying financial tables for more detail.

Research

• Q2 Research revenue of $279 million was up 6% as reported and 5% at constant currency driven by 7% growth in Research Publishing including AI revenue of $5 million. Article submissions and output rose by 28% and 12%, respectively, with robust growth across all key geographies. Strong volume drove double-digit growth in author-funded open access and solid growth in Wiley's recurring revenue models, combining subscriptions and transformational agreements. Year-to-date, Research revenue was up 6% as reported and 5% at constant currency.
• Q2 Adjusted EBITDA of $93 million was up 14% as reported and 13% at constant currency driven by revenue growth and cost savings initiatives. Adjusted EBITDA margin for the quarter was 33.5% vs. 31.3% in the prior year period. Year-to-date, Research Adjusted EBITDA was up 8% as reported and at constant currency.

Learning

• Q2 Learning revenue of $143 million was down 11% as reported and at constant currency due to market-related softness, including a sharp inventory drop off at an online retailer and a slowdown in consumer and corporate spending. Professional was down 16%. Academic was down 8%. Learning was also impacted by $4 million of AI revenue in the prior year. Across the segment, print declines more than offset digital growth. Year-to-date, Learning revenue was down 10% as reported and at constant currency. Declines are expected to moderate in the second half of the year as retail inventory levels stabilize.
• Q2 Adjusted EBITDA of $57 million for the quarter was down 14% as reported and at constant currency due to lower revenue. Adjusted EBITDA margin was 40.1% down from 41.3%. Year-to-date, Learning Adjusted EBITDA was down 12% as reported and at constant currency.

Corporate Expenses

"Corporate Expenses" are the portion of shared services costs not allocated to segments.

• Q2 Corporate Expenses on an Adjusted EBITDA basis were lower by 18% as reported and at constant currency due to restructuring efforts and expense management across functional areas, notably Technology. Year-to-date, Corporate Expenses on an Adjusted EBITDA basis were lower by 7% as reported and 8% at constant currency.

EPS

• Q2 GAAP EPS of $0.84 compared to $0.74 in prior year period. Q2 Adjusted EPS of $1.10 was up 12% at constant currency with operating performance offsetting a higher adjusted effective tax rate. Diluted shares outstanding were down by 1.3 million to 53.5 million. Year-to-date, GAAP EPS rose 48% on a reported basis and Adjusted EPS was up 9% at constant currency.

BALANCE SHEET, CASH FLOW, AND CAPITAL ALLOCATION

• Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (Trailing Twelve Months) at quarter end was 2.0 compared to 2.2 in the year-ago period. Wiley recently utilized approximately $120 million of divestiture proceeds to reduce debt and expects leverage to come down materially in Fiscal 2026.
• Net Cash Used in Operating Activities was $77 million compared to $94 million in the prior year period. Note, Wiley's regular use of cash in the first half of the fiscal year is driven by the timing of cash collections for annual journal renewals, which are concentrated in Q3 and Q4.
• Free Cash Flow improved to a use of $108 million from a use of $130 million in the prior year largely due to higher cash earnings and lower capex and interest payments. Capex was $31 million compared to $36 million.
• Returns to Shareholders: Wiley allocated $40 million in the quarter toward both repurchases ($21 million) and dividends ($19 million), up 26% over prior year. The Company acquired approximately 553,000 shares at an average cost of $38.11/share. Year-to-date, Wiley allocated $73 million to repurchases and dividends. During the first half, the Board approved a $250 million share repurchase authorization, deployed a 10b5-1 plan for repurchases outside open windows, and raised its dividend for the 32 ^nd consecutive year.

FISCAL 2026 OUTLOOK

Wiley is reaffirming its full year outlook for Adjusted EBITDA margin, Adjusted EPS, and Free Cash Flow and narrowing its Revenue guidance to the low end of the range due to market challenges in Learning. Research and AI momentum are expected to remain strong. The revenue range is narrowed to low-single digit growth from low-to-mid single digit growth.

*Narrowed from low-to-mid single digit growth

Adjusted metrics exclude impact of divestitures, which were primarily completed in Fiscal 2024 with remainder completed in first half of Fiscal 2025. Approximately $17 million of divestiture-related revenue was recorded in Fiscal 2025.

EARNINGS CONFERENCE CALL

Scheduled for today, December 4 at 10:00 am (ET). Access webcast at Investor Relations at investors.wiley.com, or directly at https://events.q4inc.com/attendee/792761606. U.S. callers, please dial (888) 210-3346 and enter the participant code 2521217#. International callers, please dial (646) 960-0253 and enter the participant code 2521217#.

ABOUT WILEY

Wiley (NYSE: WLY) is a global leader in authoritative content and research intelligence for the advancement of scientific discovery, innovation, and learning. With more than 200 years at the center of the scholarly ecosystem, Wiley combines trusted publishing heritage with AI-powered platforms to transform how knowledge is discovered, accessed, and applied. From individual researchers and students to Fortune 500 R&D teams, Wiley enables the transformation of scientific breakthroughs into real-world impact. From knowledge to impact-Wiley is redefining what's possible in science and learning. Visit us at Wiley.com and Investors.Wiley.com