Stock fact sheet · data as of
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (WLY): fair value, margin of safety and Wheel Score
Ticker symbol WLY · Communication Services · Publishing · United States · Blend
Is WLY undervalued?
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (WLY) closed at 52.30 on 5 Nov 2026. The GLS average fair value - the simple average of the 9 valuation models that produced a positive number - is 102.14, which puts the price 49% below it. 5 of the 9 models value the shares above the current price. A gap this wide is rare in our universe of ~7,400 US stocks and is exactly what the Value part of the Wheel Score rewards; it is also where the question "why is it this cheap?" matters most.
The 9 models disagree widely: DDM gives 20.97 while GLS Growth gives 239.07. A spread that wide means the average is sensitive to which methods you trust; the model table below shows where each one lands, and the Quote page lets you switch any of them off.
Ranked against every other company we cover, neither cheapness nor growth clearly wins for WLY, so the nightly engine files it under Blend (value score 51, growth score 54, out of 100).
Nine valuation models for WLY
Each model turns the latest filed numbers into a value per share; the GLS fair value is the simple average of the ones that produce a positive number. The last two rows are shown for reference and never enter the average. The Quote page lets you switch any model off and add your own margin of safety.
| Model | Value | vs price | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCF | 171.11 | +227% | Present value of the projected free cash flows, discounted at the cost of capital |
| Graham Number | 37.15 | -29% | The most a defensive investor pays for the earnings and book value per share |
| Graham Growth | 111.83 | +114% | Graham's growth formula: EPS × (8.5 + 2 × growth), adjusted for bond yields |
| Lynch | 40.59 | -22% | EPS × the earnings growth rate (PEG of 1), growth capped at 25% |
| GLS Growth | 239.07 | +357% | EPS compounded ten years at the blended growth rate, discounted back at 15% a year |
| 10 Cap | 90.09 | +72% | Owner's earnings (operating cash flow less maintenance capex) capitalised at 10% |
| Payback Time | 165.03 | +216% | Eight years of compounded free cash flow: the price at which the business pays for itself |
| DDM | 20.97 | -60% | Dividend discount model: next year's dividend ÷ (10% − 3% growth); needs a dividend |
| EPV | 43.39 | -17% | Earnings power value: current EPS capitalised at 9% with no growth |
| Zombie (liquidation) | -26.12 | -150% | Current assets less all liabilities, per share: the balance-sheet floor. Not in the average |
| Wall St target | 0.0000 | -100% | Analysts' average 12-month price target. Not in the average |
Quality and financial health
Financial health is average - WLY passes 6 of the nine Piotroski tests, which passes the "Piotroski 6 or more" Wheel Trade Filter. The Financials tab on the Quote page shows which tests fail. The GLS Moat score is 6.3 out of 10: a record that is solid on some of the four parts the score weighs (returns on capital, pricing power, lasting growth, balance sheet) and weaker on others.
Returns on capital are high - ROIC 13.7%, ROE 26.1%, ROA 8.6% - with debt at 0.91 times equity and a free-cash-flow yield of 8.0%.
The dividend yield is 2.72% at a payout ratio of 37%; for a wheel trader holding assigned shares the dividend adds to the covered-call premium, and the ex-dividend date is worth knowing before a call is sold. Revenue comes mainly from Research 76%, Learning 24% (quarter Q1 FY2027).
Institutional ownership scores 10/10, insider activity 10/10 and Congressional trading 5/10 on the GLS smart-money scales.
| Piotroski F-score | 6 / 9 | ROIC | 13.7% |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLS Moat | 6.3 / 10 | ROE | 26.1% |
| Debt / equity | 0.91 | ROA | 8.6% |
| Free-cash-flow yield | 8.0% | Payout ratio | 37% |
| Institutions | 10 / 10 | Insiders · Congress | 10 · 5 / 10 |
Wheel Score 45: Weak
WLY scores 45 out of 100 on the Wheel Score, in the Weak band (under 50): it fails filter 6, no serious red flags - Red Flags score 55 (under 60), and the parts are thin too - value strong, premium strong, moat good, health good, red flags weak, option trading weak, stability fair. The score is not a judgement on the company; it says the price, quality and premium do not line up for selling puts on it today.
Implied volatility is 49% on the near-the-money contracts 20-60 days out - inside the 35-60% sweet spot the Wheel Score rewards most: enough premium to be worth selling, not so much that the risk is unpaid. Chain open interest is thin - 1,302 contracts across every expiry - so fills at a fair price are not guaranteed; a 30-45-day put may not exist at a usable strike.
Volume runs at 417k shares a day on a market cap of $2.7B, with a beta of 0.75 - a low beta, so day-to-day moves are smaller than the market's; the Stability part of the Wheel Score rates that fair.
| Filter | Wheel Trade Filter | Result | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Options that actually trade | Passes | Listed options with 1,000+ contracts of open interest and 100+ traded a day |
| 2 | A real business, not a gamble | Passes | Profitable over the last twelve months - not a speculative stock, fund or note |
| 3 | Below fair value | Passes | Trading below the nine-model average fair value (margin of safety above 0) |
| 4 | Financially healthy | Passes | Piotroski F-score 6 or more out of 9 (a company with no score on file passes) |
| 5 | Can repay its debt | Passes | Long-term debt repaid from 3 years of operating cash flow or less (6 for real estate and utilities; banks and insurers are not judged on it) |
| 6 | No serious red flags | Fails | Red Flags score 55 (under 60) |
| 7 | A premium worth selling | Passes | Implied volatility 25-80% (enough premium, not a lottery ticket) |
| 8 | Big enough | Passes | Market cap $1 billion or more |
| 9 | Not a penny stock | Passes | Share price $5 or more |
| How it ranks | Rating | From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value | Strong | 49% below fair value | |
| Premium | Strong | implied volatility 49% | |
| Moat | Good | moat 6.3/10 | |
| Health | Good | Piotroski 6/9 | |
| Red Flags | Weak | Red Flags score 55/100 | |
| Option trading | Weak | 117 contracts a day, 1,302 open interest | |
| Stability | Fair | beta 0.75, $2.7B company |
The Wheel Score ranks ~7,400 US stocks for selling cash-secured puts and covered calls: a stock must pass all 9 Wheel Trade Filters to score 70, and the score then ranks the ones that pass; the Sunday Scan is the top 10. It is updated nightly and is not a recommendation. How the Wheel Score works · the walkthrough lesson shows how it fits into a trade, start to finish.
Upcoming events
The next earnings report is due on 3 Dec 2026 (before the open), 28 days away; a 30-45-day put sold today would expire after it, which is worth weighing against the premium.
Earnings, dividend, IPO, split and economic calendars for the whole market, filterable to your watchlists.
Similar stocks in Publishing
The 12 companies below are the closest to John Wiley & Sons, Inc. by market cap within the Publishing industry, each with its own fact sheet; the Compare page puts up to eight of them side by side.
| Stock | Close | Fair value | MoS | Wheel | Mkt cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WLYB John Wiley & Sons, Inc. | 50.82 | 100.77 | +50% | 33No options | $2.6B |
| TDAY USA TODAY Co. Inc. | 6.07 | 24.20 | +75% | 41Weak | $891M |
| SCHL Scholastic Corporation | 38.39 | 62.46 | +39% | 44Weak | $707M |
| NYT The New York Times Company | 66.50 | 67.41 | +1% | 73Good | $10.7B |
| PSO Pearson plc | 17.74 | 24.95 | +29% | 49Weak | $10.8B |
| NWSA News Corporation | 30.56 | 37.16 | +18% | 78Good | $17.0B |
| NWS News Corporation | 33.39 | 39.03 | +14% | 42Weak | $18.0B |
| GWOX The Goodheart-Willcox Company, Inc. | 371.00 | 348.25 | -7% | 21No options | $173M |
| LEE Lee Enterprises, Incorporated | 6.59 | 192.45 | +97% | 32No options | $147M |
| CMTX COMTEX News Network, Inc. | 5.25 | 131.70 | +96% | 27No options | $83M |
| DTRL The Detroit Legal News Company | 450.00 | 1,517.00 | +70% | 31No options | $17M |
| IDWM IDW Media Holdings, Inc. | 34.10 | 58.17 | +41% | 27No options | $10M |
⚖ Compare WLY with 7 of them All Communication Services stocks →
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Start free See the Sunday ScanQuestions about WLY
Is WLY undervalued right now?
By the GLS models, yes: at 52.30 the stock is 49% below the average fair value of 102.14 (data as of 5 Nov 2026). Whether the discount is deserved is the question to research next.
What is the Wheel Score of WLY and what does it mean?
WLY scores 45 out of 100 (Weak) - it fails Wheel Trade Filter 6. The Wheel Score ranks stocks for the wheel strategy - selling cash-secured puts, then covered calls if assigned - in two parts: the 9 pass/fail Wheel Trade Filters (busy options, a real business, below fair value, Piotroski 6 or more, debt it can repay, a Red Flags score of 60 or more, implied volatility of 25-80%, a $1 billion company, $5 a share) and a ranking of how strongly a stock passes on value, premium, moat, health, red flags, option trading and stability. A stock that fails any filter stays under 70; 70-84 is Good, 85 and above is Prime. The Sunday Scan is the top 10 that pass, sorted by Wheel Score.
What is the GLS fair value for WLY?
102.14 per share as of 5 Nov 2026 - the simple average of the 9 valuation models (out of nine: DCF, Graham Number, Graham Growth, Lynch, GLS Growth, 10 Cap, Payback Time, DDM and EPV) that produced a positive value. The models run every night on the latest filings; the Quote page lets you switch any of them off and add a margin of safety of your own.
When does John Wiley & Sons, Inc. report earnings next?
The next earnings report is due on 3 Dec 2026 (before the open), 28 days from the data date of 5 Nov 2026. The Calendars page lists every upcoming report with its time of day.
Does WLY have listed options, and how liquid are they?
Yes. The nightly snapshot found 32 listed contracts with 1,302 open interest across all expiries and implied volatility of 49% on the near-the-money contracts. The Options scanner lists the cash-secured put and covered call set-ups with premium and annualised yield worked out.