WLY
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Communication Services - Publishing Investor Relations →
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (WLY) closed at $52.20 as of 2026-07-31, trading 40.9% above its 200-week moving average of $37.05. The stock moved further from the line this week, up from 34.1% last week. With a 14-week RSI of 76, WLY is in overbought territory.
Trading volume is running at 1.1x of its 14-week average, which is in the normal range. The balance between buying and selling volume (1.30 ratio) is neutral — neither side is clearly dominating.
Over the past 2778 weeks of data, WLY has crossed below its 200-week moving average 30 times. On average, these episodes lasted 20 weeks. Historically, investors who bought WLY at the start of these episodes saw an average one-year return of +10.0%.
With a market cap of $2.6 billion, WLY is a mid-cap stock. The company generates a free cash flow yield of 7.6%, which is healthy. Return on equity stands at 27.7%, indicating strong profitability. The stock trades at 3.1x book value.
The company has been aggressively buying back shares, reducing its share count by 8.0% over the past three years.
Over the past 33.6 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in WLY would have grown to $3066, compared to $3098 for the S&P 500. WLY has returned 10.7% annualized vs 10.8% for the index, underperforming the broader market over this period.
Free cash flow has been growing at a 1.2% compound annual rate, with 4 consecutive years of positive cash generation.
Business Health
Annual financials — how the underlying business has performed over the past several years.
Cash Flow Free cash flow & net income ($M)
Revenue Annual revenue ($M) — business growth proxy
Total Debt Balance sheet debt ($M)
ROIC Return on invested capital (%)
FCF Yield Free cash flow / market cap (%) — Yartseva signal
Gross Margin Pricing power & competitive moat (%)
Shares Outstanding Buybacks vs dilution (millions)
Growth of $100: WLY vs S&P 500
Monthly data normalized to $100 at start. Vertical dashed lines mark 200-week MA touches.
What Happens After WLY Crosses Below the Line?
Across 25 historical episodes, buying WLY when it crossed below its 200-week moving average produced an average return of +17.2% after 12 months (median +14.0%), compared to +15.0% for the S&P 500 over the same periods. 83% of those episodes were profitable after one year. After 24 months, the average return was +24.6% vs +32.8% for the index.
Each line shows $100 invested at the moment WLY crossed below its 200-week MA. Bold blue = stock average. Gray dashed = S&P 500 average over same periods.
Bean Score Experimental
The Bean Score measures how far a stock's free cash flow yield has deviated from its own quarterly baseline, normalized by the stock's historical behavior. Between earnings dates, FCF is constant — so the score is purely a function of stock price. The levels below show at what prices WLY would reach each dislocation threshold.
Dislocation Price Levels
Prices where WLY's Bean Score would hit each σ threshold. Valid until next earnings report: 2026-09-03.
| Level | σ | Price | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deep Value | +2σ | $36.30 | Unusually cheap — potential buy zone |
| Value | +1σ | $40.72 | Cheap vs. own history |
| Fair Value | +0σ | $46.38 | Historical mean behavior |
| Expensive | -1σ | $53.86 | Expensive vs. own history |
| Deep Expensive | -2σ | $64.21 | Unusually expensive — potential trim zone |
Quarterly FCF & Yield Trailing twelve-month free cash flow and yield at each quarter end
Signal Accuracy Collecting Data
The Bean Score system is accumulating weekly data to validate signal accuracy. After 13+ weeks of history, this section will display win rates and average returns for each σ threshold crossing — answering the question: "When this score says cheap or expensive, does the price subsequently move in the expected direction?"
Theoretical framework — not backtested or forward-tested. The Bean Score uses trailing twelve-month free cash flow yield as a dislocation identifier. It measures whether the market has pushed a stock's yield unusually far from its own baseline behavior. These levels are reference points for identifying potential swing trade opportunities, not buy/sell signals. FCF values update quarterly with earnings; between reports, all movement is price-driven.
Dislocation Scores Experimental
Each score measures deviation from WLY's own historical baseline — the same idea as the Bean Score, applied to different fundamentals. Positive means cheaper or more dislocated than this stock's norm. Scores marked σ are normalized by the stock's own variability; pp values are simple deltas from its recent baseline.
Theoretical framework — not backtested. These scores describe how unusual today's readings are for this specific company. They are starting points for research, not buy or sell signals. Annual-statement scores (buyback, accruals, FCF vs history) rest on only ~4 yearly data points and are deltas, not sigmas.
Historical Touches
WLY has crossed below its 200-week MA 30 times with an average 1-year return of +10.0% after recovery.
| Crossed Below | Recovered | Weeks | Max Depth | 1-Year Return | Return Since Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1973 | Jul 1975 | 116 | 64.7% | -26.4% | +52492.0% |
| Oct 1987 | Feb 1988 | 17 | 33.9% | +40.4% | +5917.4% |
| Feb 1990 | Feb 1990 | 1 | 3.7% | -21.9% | +4267.1% |
| Feb 1990 | May 1990 | 10 | 4.3% | -18.7% | +4157.9% |
| Jul 1990 | Feb 1992 | 81 | 36.6% | -5.6% | +4101.1% |
| May 1992 | Jun 1992 | 5 | 3.8% | +25.3% | +3940.9% |
| Jun 1992 | Jul 1992 | 2 | 2.7% | +25.7% | +3953.8% |
| Jul 1992 | Aug 1992 | 6 | 2.8% | +11.5% | +3912.5% |
| Jul 2002 | Jul 2002 | 1 | 0.6% | +34.2% | +337.8% |
| Jan 2008 | Jan 2008 | 1 | 2.1% | +0.2% | +130.3% |
| Mar 2008 | Mar 2008 | 1 | 2.8% | -20.2% | +130.0% |
| Oct 2008 | Nov 2009 | 58 | 29.5% | +18.0% | +176.0% |
| May 2010 | Jun 2010 | 1 | 0.1% | +35.5% | +111.9% |
| Aug 2010 | Aug 2010 | 3 | 4.5% | +24.2% | +116.4% |
| Nov 2012 | Nov 2012 | 1 | 1.0% | +25.8% | +88.5% |
| Dec 2012 | Jul 2013 | 29 | 13.0% | +44.6% | +109.5% |
| Sep 2015 | Oct 2015 | 1 | 1.0% | +10.6% | +50.9% |
| Dec 2015 | Apr 2016 | 19 | 16.4% | +30.0% | +59.5% |
| Sep 2016 | Sep 2016 | 1 | 0.8% | +13.7% | +45.1% |
| May 2017 | Jun 2017 | 3 | 1.2% | +35.5% | +37.3% |
| Dec 2018 | Jan 2021 | 109 | 35.5% | -2.7% | +30.9% |
| Jan 2021 | Feb 2021 | 1 | 2.1% | +10.6% | +37.3% |
| Sep 2022 | Nov 2022 | 8 | 16.7% | -13.3% | +37.3% |
| Dec 2022 | Jan 2023 | 6 | 12.6% | -22.9% | +45.4% |
| Mar 2023 | Jul 2024 | 69 | 30.6% | +6.7% | +64.1% |
| Jan 2025 | Mar 2025 | 8 | 5.7% | -22.6% | +30.9% |
| May 2025 | Jun 2025 | 4 | 7.3% | +8.0% | +34.0% |
| Jul 2025 | Aug 2025 | 5 | 4.7% | +34.6% | +37.9% |
| Sep 2025 | Sep 2025 | 1 | 0.1% | N/A | +35.9% |
| Oct 2025 | Mar 2026 | 24 | 22.7% | N/A | +47.5% |
| Average | 20 | — | +10.0% | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is WLY below its 200-week moving average?
No. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (WLY) is currently 40.9% above its 200-week moving average of $37.05. It would need to fall to $37.05 to cross below the line.
What is WLY's 200-week moving average price?
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.'s 200-week moving average is $37.05 as of 2026-07-31. This is the average weekly closing price over roughly the last 4 years, and it acts as a long-term trend line. When a stock drops below this level, it can signal that the price has fallen far enough from the long-term trend to attract value-oriented investors.
What happens when WLY drops below its 200-week moving average?
WLY has crossed below its 200-week moving average 30 times in our data. On average, buying at that moment produced a one-year return of +10.0%. These dips have historically been decent entry points. These episodes lasted 20 weeks on average.
Is WLY a good value right now?
Here's what our data says about WLY as of 2026-07-31: The stock is above its 200-week moving average, so it doesn't currently meet our primary signal. The 14-week RSI is 76 (overbought). Free cash flow yield is 7.6%. Return on equity is 27.7%. Price-to-book is 3.1x. This is not a buy or sell recommendation — always do your own research.
How does WLY compare to the S&P 500?
Over the past 33.6 years, $100 invested in WLY would have grown to $3066, compared to $3098 for the S&P 500. That's 10.7% annualized vs 10.8% for the index. WLY has underperformed the broader market over this period.
Does WLY pay a dividend?
Yes. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. currently pays a dividend yield of 271.00%.
Not financial advice. This is an educational tool. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Do your own research before making investment decisions.
Data as of week of 2026-07-31