Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has significantly reduced its holdings in John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (NYSE: WLY) by 46.6% during the third quarter of 2023. According to Holdings Channel, the fund now owns 29,656 shares of the publishing company after selling 25,855 shares during this period. As of the latest reporting, Thrivent’s shares in John Wiley & Sons were valued at approximately $1,200,000.
Several other institutional investors have also adjusted their positions in John Wiley & Sons recently. Amalgamated Bank increased its stake by 3.5%, now holding 12,008 shares worth $486,000 after acquiring an additional 401 shares last quarter. Similarly, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC saw a remarkable increase of 519.8% in its holdings during the second quarter, bringing its total to 564 shares valued at $25,000 after purchasing 473 shares.
Other notable changes include SkyView Investment Advisors LLC, which raised its position by 3.2%, now owning 17,589 shares worth $794,000 after buying an additional 544 shares. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System also increased its holdings by 6.9%, holding 10,489 shares valued at $468,000 after acquiring 676 shares. Additionally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its stake by 3.1%, now owning 23,407 shares worth $1,043,000 after buying 707 shares.
Institutional investors currently hold 73.94% of John Wiley & Sons’ stock.
Wall Street’s Outlook and Stock Performance
Market analysts have issued varied reports on John Wiley & Sons. Weiss Ratings maintained a “hold (c)” rating as of December 29, while Wall Street Zen upgraded the stock from a “buy” to a “strong-buy” rating on December 13. Additionally, Zacks Research raised its rating to “hold” on December 16. Currently, the stock holds an average rating of “hold,” according to data from MarketBeat.com.
As of March 15, 2024, John Wiley & Sons opened at $29.49. The company has recorded a 52-week low of $28.38 and a high of $47.26. It holds a market capitalization of $1.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.68, and a beta of 0.98. The firm has a fifty-day simple moving average of $30.77 and a two-hundred-day moving average of $35.69.
John Wiley & Sons reported earnings on December 4, announcing $1.10 earnings per share, exceeding the consensus estimate of $0.97 by $0.13. The company’s net margin stands at 6.11%, with a return on equity of 28.23%. Quarterly revenue reached $421.75 million, surpassing the expected $416.40 million, although this represents a 1.1% decline compared to the previous year. For fiscal year 2026, the company has set guidance at $3.90 to $4.35 EPS, with analysts predicting $3.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Dividend Announcement and Company Overview
Recently, John Wiley & Sons declared a quarterly dividend of $0.355 per share, which was paid on January 15, 2024. Shareholders on record as of December 30, 2023, received this dividend, translating to an annualized dividend of $1.42 and a yield of 4.8%. The ex-dividend date was also December 30, 2023, and the company’s payout ratio currently stands at 75.53%.
Founded in 1807 and headquartered in Hoboken, New Jersey, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. is a global leader in publishing and educational services. The company operates primarily through two segments: Research & Publishing and Education. Wiley produces an extensive range of scholarly journals, books, and digital products aimed at academic and professional markets, as well as resources for higher education learning. In its Research & Publishing segment, Wiley publishes thousands of peer-reviewed journals and maintains the Wiley Online Library, a prominent platform for scientific and scholarly content.
