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Wiley Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2024 Results

06/13/2024

Exceeds FY24 earnings guidance and reports confident FY25 outlook and GenAI momentum

Wiley (NYSE: WLY) today reported results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended April 30, 2024.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • FY24 Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EPS guidance exceeded; Adjusted Revenue in higher end of range
  • GenAI content rights project completed this quarter with large tech company; another executed GenAI project with second large tech company to be realized in FY25
  • Advancing Value Creation Plan with 2 of 3 non-core divestitures closed and $90 million of $130 million run-rate cost savings actioned
  • FY25 growth outlook driven by Research & Learning momentum and accelerated cost savings

MANAGEMENT COMMENTARY

“We finished the year strong and head into Fiscal 2025 with full confidence in our Research trajectory, GenAI momentum, and profit and performance outlook,” said Matthew Kissner, Interim President and CEO. “We are seeing robust demand to publish and significant output acceleration in Research as well as continued outperformance in Learning. On top of this, we’re seeing significant interest in leveraging our authoritative content to train AI and machine learning models. Finally, we’ve executed on our stated commitments with discipline and speed, enabling us to exceed our earnings guidance and accelerate our cost savings program, setting us up well for continued margin expansion and strong cash generation ahead.”

FOURTH QUARTER SUMMARY

Fiscal Year 2024 was a transition year for Wiley as the Company divested non-core assets, restructured and realigned the organization, and recorded multiple non-cash impairments. Results reflect this activity.

  • GAAP Results (including Held for Sale or Sold Assets): Revenue of $468 million (-11%), Operating income of $69 million (-17%), and EPS of $0.46 (-$0.76).
  • Adjusted Results at Constant Currency (excluding Held for Sale or Sold Assets): Revenue of $441 million (+4%), Adjusted EBITDA of $125 million (+7%), and Adjusted EPS of $1.21 (+2%).

FULL YEAR SUMMARY

  • GAAP Results: Revenue of $1,873 million (-7%), Operating income of $52 million (-6%), and EPS loss of $3.65 (-$3.96).
  • Adjusted Results at Constant Currency: Revenue of $1,617 million (-1%), Adjusted EBITDA of $369 million (-3%), and Adjusted EPS of $2.78 (-19%).
  • Cash from Operations of $208 million (-$69 million) and Free Cash Flow of $114 million (-$59 million) mainly due to lower cash earnings and higher restructuring payments.

For GAAP purposes, Wiley’s reporting structure consists of three segments: (1) Research, (2) Learning, and (3) Held for Sale or Sold. Adjusted numbers exclude our Held for Sale or Sold reporting segment, as well as restructuring costs and other unusual items. See the reconciliation provided in the tables that follow.

Research

  • Fourth Quarter Revenue of $271 million was down 3% as reported and at constant currency, mainly due to timing and declines in ancillary print and licensing revenue in Research Publishing, and soft market conditions in advertising and recruiting in Research Solutions. Full Year Revenue of $1,043 million was down 3% as reported, or 4% at constant currency, mainly due to the full year Hindawi impact. Excluding Hindawi, Research revenue for the year was flat.
  • Fourth Quarter Adjusted EBITDA of $94 million was down 11% as reported and 12% at constant currency due to lower revenue and lower incentive compensation costs in the prior year due to underperformance. Adjusted EBITDA margin for the quarter was 34.6%. Full Year Adjusted EBITDA of $331 million was down 13% at constant currency mainly driven by revenue performance and the incentive compensation swing. Excluding Hindawi, Research Adjusted EBITDA for the year was down 4%. Adjusted EBITDA margin for the year was 31.8%.

Learning

  • Fourth Quarter Revenue of $170 million was up 18% as reported and at constant currency driven by a $23 million content rights project for training GenAI large language models and continued growth in Academic content and courseware. Excluding the one-time GenAI project, Q4 Learning revenue rose 2% on a constant currency basis. Full Year Revenue of $574 million was up 5% as reported and at constant currency due to outperformance in digital content and courseware in Academic and the GenAI content rights project in both Academic and Professional. Excluding the one-time project, full year Learning revenue rose 1% on a constant currency basis.
  • Fourth Quarter Adjusted EBITDA of $74 million was up 54% as reported and at constant currency due to the GenAI content rights project and restructuring savings. Adjusted EBITDA margin for the quarter was 43.5% compared to 33.5% in the prior year period. Full Year Adjusted EBITDA of $200 million was up 27% at constant currency mainly due to revenue performance and restructuring savings. Full Year Adjusted EBITDA margin of 34.9% compared to 28.9% in the prior year period.

Corporate Expense Category

  • Fourth Quarter Adjusted Corporate Expenses of $43 million on an Adjusted EBITDA basis was up 15% over prior year at constant currency, driven by higher professional fees. Full Year Adjusted Corporate Expenses of $163 million was up 4% primarily due to higher incentive compensation.

Businesses Held for Sale or Sold (HFS)

Our Held for Sale or Sold segment reflects the performance of those businesses for the periods owned. Wiley University Services was sold on January 1, 2024. The sale of Wiley Edge, with the exception of its India operation, was completed on May 31, 2024. The sale of Wiley Edge's India operation will be finalized later in calendar year 2024. See accompanying financial tables for Q4 and FY24 performance.

EPS

  • Fourth Quarter GAAP EPS of $0.46 compared to $1.22 in the prior year period primarily due to a valuation allowance on US deferred tax assets, restructuring charges, and a net increase in the loss on the sale of University Services. Fourth Quarter Adjusted EPS of $1.21 was up 2% at constant currency due to revenue performance partially offset by tech write-offs as part of our legacy decommissioning.
  • Full Year GAAP EPS loss of $3.65 compared to +$0.31 in the prior year period primarily due to non-cash impairments related to held for sale or sold assets and losses on sale, as well as higher restructuring charges. Full Year Adjusted EPS of $2.78 was down 19% impacted by lower Adjusted Operating Income, higher interest and tax expense, and higher pension expense.

Balance Sheet, Cash Flow, and Capital Allocation

  • Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (Trailing Twelve Months) at quarter end was 1.7 compared to 1.5 in the year-ago period.
  • Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities (full year) was $208 million compared to $277 million in the prior year period due to lower cash earnings and higher restructuring payments.
  • Free Cash Flow less Product Development Spending (full year) was $114 million compared to $173 million in the prior year period due to lower cash provided by operating activities and higher restructuring and interest payments partially offset by lower Capex. Capex of $93 million was below prior year by $11 million. Note, Wiley does not provide an adjusted Free Cash Flow metric; results include held for sale or sold businesses.
  • Returns to Shareholders (full year): Wiley allocated $122 million toward dividends and share repurchases, up from $112 million in the prior year, with $45 million used to acquire 1.3 million shares at an average cost per share of $34.71. This compares to 832,000 shares repurchased in the prior year period. In June 2023, Wiley raised its dividend for the 30th consecutive year.

FISCAL YEAR 2025 OUTLOOK

Metric

($millions, except EPS)

Fiscal 2024 Results

Ex-Divestitures

Fiscal 2025 Outlook

Ex-Divestitures

Adj. Revenue*

$1,617

$1,650 to $1,690

Research

$1,043

Low to mid-single digit growth

Learning

$574

Low-single digit growth

Adj. EBITDA*

$369

$385 to $410

Adj. EPS*

$2.78

$3.25 to $3.60

Free Cash Flow

$114

Approx. $125

*Excludes held for sale or sold assets

  • Adjusted Revenue – growth outlook driven by favorable trends and key indicators in Research Publishing, notably open access and institutional models; new business in Research Solutions; and strong momentum in digital courseware and assessments in Learning. Research is entering FY25 with strong leading indicators, including 15% submissions growth and mid-single digit output growth in Q4.
  • Adjusted EBITDA – margin expansion outlook in line with previous targets driven by revenue growth and cost savings while reflecting reinvestments to scale and optimize Research, modernize infrastructure and expand GenAI content licensing, capabilities, and product development.
  • Adjusted EPS – significant growth expectation driven by higher expected Adjusted Operating Income and accrued interest income from divestitures offsetting higher interest and tax expense.
  • Free Cash Flow – growth outlook driven by lower restructuring payments and favorable working capital partially offset by higher capex and year-over-year swing in incentive compensation payments. The Company expects capex of $130 million compared to $93 million in Fiscal 2024 driven by the acceleration of its Research Publishing platform work and infrastructure modernization.

The Company remains on track with its Fiscal 2026 targets.

EARNINGS CONFERENCE CALL

Scheduled for today, June 13 at 10:00 am (ET). Access webcast at Investor Relations at investors.wiley.com, or directly at https://events.q4inc.com/attendee/333300189. 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 one of the world’s largest publishers and a trusted leader in research and learning. Our industry-leading content, services, platforms, and knowledge networks are tailored to meet the evolving needs of our customers and partners, including researchers, students, instructors, professionals, institutions, and corporations. We enable knowledge-seekers to transform today’s biggest obstacles into tomorrow’s brightest opportunities. For more than two centuries, Wiley has been delivering on its timeless mission to unlock human potential. Visit us at Wiley.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

Wiley provides non-GAAP financial measures and performance results such as “Adjusted EPS,” “Adjusted Operating Income,” “Adjusted EBITDA,” “Adjusted Income before Taxes,” “Adjusted Income Tax Provision,” “Adjusted Effective Income Tax Rate,” “Free Cash Flow less Product Development Spending,” “organic revenue,” “Adjusted Revenue,” and results on a Constant Currency basis to assess underlying business performance and trends. Management believes non-GAAP financial measures, which exclude the impact of restructuring charges and credits and certain other items, and the impact of divestitures and acquisitions provide a useful comparable basis to analyze operating results and earnings. See the reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures and explanations of the uses of non-GAAP measures in the supplementary information. We have not provided our 2025 outlook for the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP financial measures, as they are not available without unreasonable effort due to the high variability, complexity, and low visibility with respect to certain items, including restructuring charges and credits, gains and losses on foreign currency, and other gains and losses. These items are uncertain, depend on various factors, and could be material to our consolidated results computed in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This release contains certain forward-looking statements concerning the Company's operations, performance, and financial condition. Reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements, as actual results may differ materially from those in any forward-looking statements. Any such forward-looking statements are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that are inherently subject to uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond the control of the Company and are subject to change based on many important factors. Such factors include, but are not limited to: (i) the level of investment in new technologies and products; (ii) subscriber renewal rates for the Company's journals; (iii) the financial stability and liquidity of journal subscription agents; (iv) the consolidation of book wholesalers and retail accounts; (v) the market position and financial stability of key online retailers; (vi) the seasonal nature of the Company's educational business and the impact of the used book market; (vii) worldwide economic and political conditions; (viii) the Company's ability to protect its copyrights and other intellectual property worldwide (ix) the ability of the Company to successfully integrate acquired operations and realize expected opportunities; (x) the ability to realize operating savings over time and in fiscal year 2025 in connection with our multiyear Global Restructuring Program and planned dispositions; (xi) the possibility that the divestitures will not be pursued, failure to obtain necessary regulatory approvals or required financing or to satisfy any of the other conditions to planned dispositions; (xii) cyber risk and the failure to maintain the integrity of our operational or security systems or infrastructure, or those of third parties with which we do business; (xiii) as a result of acquisitions, we have and may record a significant amount of goodwill and other identifiable intangible assets and we may never realize the full carrying value of these assets; and (xiii) other factors detailed from time to time in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission . The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

CATEGORY: EARNINGS RELEASES

 
JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION (1)(2)
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF NET INCOME (LOSS)
(Dollars in thousands, except per share information)
(unaudited)
 
Three Months Ended Year Ended
April 30, April 30,

2024

 

2023

 

2024

 

2023

Revenue, net

$

468,461

$

526,127

$

1,872,987

$

2,019,900

Costs and expenses:
Cost of sales

 

123,345

 

174,157

 

579,722

 

692,541

Operating and administrative expenses

 

252,062

 

245,821

 

1,013,520

 

1,037,399

Impairment of goodwill (3)

 

-

 

-

 

108,449

 

99,800

Restructuring and related charges

 

11,008

 

4,185

 

63,041

 

49,389

Amortization of intangible assets

 

13,264

 

19,492

 

55,994

 

84,881

Total costs and expenses

 

399,679

 

443,655

 

1,820,726

 

1,964,010

 
Operating income

 

68,782

 

82,472

 

52,261

 

55,890

As a % of revenue

 

14.7%

 

15.7%

 

2.8%

 

2.8%

 
Interest expense

 

(11,411)

 

(10,560)

 

(49,003)

 

(37,745)

Foreign exchange transaction gains (losses)

 

530

 

611

 

(2,959)

 

894

(Losses) gains on sale of businesses and certain assets and impairment charges related to assets held-for-sale (3)

 

(3,642)

 

10,177

 

(183,389)

 

10,177

Other (expense) income, net

 

(257)

 

2,908

 

(3,957)

 

3,884

 
Income (loss) before taxes

 

54,002

 

85,608

 

(187,047)

 

33,100

 
Provision for income taxes

 

28,737

 

17,264

 

13,272

 

15,867

Effective tax rate

 

53.2%

 

20.2%

 

-7.1%

 

47.9%

Net income (loss)

$

25,265

$

68,344

$

(200,319)

$

17,233

As a % of revenue

 

5.4%

 

13.0%

 

-10.7%

 

0.9%

 
Earnings (loss) per share
Basic

$

0.46

$

1.23

$

(3.65)

$

0.31

Diluted (4)

$

0.46

$

1.22

$

(3.65)

$

0.31

 
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding
Basic

 

54,591

 

55,355

 

54,945

 

55,558

Diluted (4)

 

55,356

 

56,137

 

54,945

 

56,355

 
Notes:
(1) The supplementary information included in this press release for the three months and year ended April 30, 2024 is preliminary and subject to change prior to the filing of our upcoming Annual Report on Form 10-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
 
(2) All amounts are approximate due to rounding.
 
(3) As previously announced, we are divesting non-core businesses, including University Services, Wiley Edge, and CrossKnowledge. These three businesses met the held-for-sale criteria starting in the first quarter of fiscal year 2024. We measured each disposal group at the lower of carrying value or fair value less costs to sell prior to its disposition. On January 1, 2024 we completed the sale of University Services. On January 8, 2024 we entered into an agreement to sell our Wiley Edge business, which closed on May 31, 2024, with the exception of its India operations. The sale of Wiley Edge's India operation will be finalized later in calendar year 2024. We expect to complete the sale of CrossKnowledge in the second quarter of fiscal year 2025.



As a result, we reorganized our segments in the first quarter of fiscal year 2024, and our new structure consists of three reportable segments which includes Research (no change), Learning, and Held for Sale or Sold, as well as a Corporate expense category (no change). As a result of this realignment, we were required to test goodwill for impairment immediately before and after the realignment. Prior to the realignment, we concluded that the fair value of the University Services reporting unit within the Held for Sale or Sold segment was below its carrying value which resulted in a pretax noncash goodwill impairment of $11.4 million in the year ended April 30, 2024. After the realignment, we concluded that the fair value of the CrossKnowledge reporting unit within the Held for Sale or Sold segment was below its carrying value which resulted in a pretax noncash goodwill impairment of $15.3 million in the year ended April 30, 2024.



As a result of signing an agreement to sell Wiley Edge and the decrease in the fair value of the business which was impacted by a decline in placements in the third quarter of fiscal year 2024, we tested the goodwill of the Wiley Edge reporting unit within the Held for Sale or Sold segment for impairment. We concluded that the carrying value of the reporting unit was above its fair value which resulted in a pretax noncash goodwill impairment of $81.7 million in the year ended April 30, 2024.



In the three months ended April 30, 2024, there was an increase in the pretax loss on the sale of University Services after the closing of approximately $5.6 million, which resulted in a total pretax loss of $107.0 million (net of tax loss of $80.5 million) in the year ended April 30, 2024. We also completed the sale of our Tuition Manager business previously in our Held for Sale or Sold segment, which resulted in a total net pretax loss of $1.5 million (net of tax loss of $1.1 million) in the year ended April 30, 2024.



Wiley Edge and CrossKnowledge continue to be reported as held-for-sale. We recorded a held-for-sale pretax impairment release of $2.0 million and charges of $74.8 million in the three months and year ended April 30, 2024, respectively, related to Wiley Edge and CrossKnowledge. The total impairment charge for Wiley Edge in the year ended April 30, 2024 was $19.4 million, which includes a release of $1.2 million in the three months ended April 30, 2024. The total impairment charge for CrossKnowledge in the year ended April 30, 2024 was $55.4 million, which includes a release of $0.8 million in the three months ended April 30, 2024.
 
(4) In calculating diluted net loss per common share for the year ended April 30, 2024, our diluted weighted average number of common shares outstanding excludes the effect of unvested restricted stock units and other stock awards as the effect was antidilutive. This occurs when a US GAAP net loss is reported and the effect of using dilutive shares is antidilutive.
 
JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION (1) (2)
RECONCILIATION OF US GAAP MEASURES to NON-GAAP MEASURES
(unaudited)
 
Reconciliation of US GAAP Earnings (Loss) per Share to Non-GAAP Adjusted EPS
Three Months Ended Year Ended
April 30, April 30,

2024

 

2023

 

2024

 

2023

US GAAP Income (Loss) Per Share - Diluted

$

0.46

$

1.22

$

(3.65)

$

0.31

Adjustments:
Impairment of goodwill

 

-

 

0.09

 

1.90

 

1.77

Legal settlement (3)

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

0.05

Pension income related to the wind up of the Russia plan (4)

 

-

 

(0.02)

 

-

 

(0.02)

Restructuring and related charges

 

0.16

 

0.06

 

0.85

 

0.66

Foreign exchange losses (gains) on intercompany transactions, including the write off of certain cumulative translation adjustments (4)

 

0.01

 

(0.01)

 

0.02

 

0.01

Amortization of acquired intangible assets (5)

 

0.02

 

0.26

 

0.68

 

1.21

Losses (gains) on sale of businesses and certain assets and impairment charges related to assets held-for-sale (6)

 

0.04

 

(0.11)

 

2.81

 

(0.11)

Held for Sale or Sold segment Adjusted Net Income (6)

 

(0.03)

 

(0.26)

 

(0.42)

 

(0.36)

Income tax adjustments

 

0.55

 

(0.04)

 

0.54

 

(0.04)

EPS impact of using weighted-average dilutive shares for adjusted EPS calculation (7)

 

-

 

-

 

0.05

 

-

Non-GAAP Adjusted Earnings Per Share - Diluted

$

1.21

$

1.19

$

2.78

$

3.48

 
Reconciliation of US GAAP Income (Loss) Before Taxes to Non-GAAP Adjusted Income Before Taxes
Three Months Ended Year Ended
(amounts in thousands) April 30, April 30,

2024

 

2023

 

2024

 

2023

US GAAP Income (Loss) Before Taxes

$

54,002

$

85,608

$

(187,047)

$

33,100

Pretax Impact of Adjustments:
Impairment of goodwill

 

-

 

-

 

108,449

 

99,800

Legal settlement (3)

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

3,671

Pension income related to the wind up of the Russia plan (4)

 

-

 

(1,750)

 

-

 

(1,750)

Restructuring and related charges

 

11,008

 

4,185

 

63,041

 

49,389

Foreign exchange losses (gains) on intercompany transactions, including the write off of certain cumulative translation adjustments (4)

 

815

 

(449)

 

1,903

 

457

Amortization of acquired intangible assets (5)

 

13,324

 

20,566

 

57,874

 

89,177

Losses (gains) on sale of businesses and certain assets and impairment charges related to assets held-for-sale (6)

 

3,641

 

(10,177)

 

183,389

 

(10,177)

Held for Sale or Sold segment Adjusted Income Before Taxes (6)

 

(2,408)

 

(17,974)

 

(30,661)

 

(26,094)

Non-GAAP Adjusted Income Before Taxes

$

80,382

$

80,009

$

196,948

$

237,573

 
Reconciliation of US GAAP Income Tax Provision to Non-GAAP Adjusted Income Tax Provision, including our US GAAP Effective Tax Rate and our Non-GAAP Adjusted Effective Tax Rate
 
US GAAP Income Tax Provision

$

28,737

$

17,264

$

13,272

$

15,867

Income Tax Impact of Adjustments (8)
Impairment of goodwill

 

255

 

(4,857)

 

2,953

 

-

Legal settlement (3)

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

716

Pension income related to the wind up of the Russia plan (4)

 

-

 

(437)

 

-

 

(437)

Restructuring and related charges

 

2,425

 

992

 

15,662

 

12,151

Foreign exchange losses (gains) on intercompany transactions, including the write off of certain cumulative translation adjustments (4)

 

471

 

(142)

 

582

 

132

Amortization of acquired intangible assets (5)

 

11,459

 

5,372

 

20,127

 

20,183

Losses (gains) on sale of businesses and certain assets and impairment charges related to assets held-for-sale (6)

 

1,197

 

(3,860)

 

26,908

 

(3,860)

Held for Sale or Sold segment Adjusted Tax Provision (6)

 

(622)

 

(3,555)

 

(7,140)

 

(5,533)

Income Tax Adjustments
Impact of increase in UK statutory rate on deferred tax balances (9)

 

-

 

2,370

 

-

 

2,370

Impact of valuation allowance (10)

 

(30,249)

 

-

 

(30,249)

 

-

Non-GAAP Adjusted Income Tax Provision

$

13,673

$

13,147

$

42,115

$

41,589

 
US GAAP Effective Tax Rate

 

53.2%

 

20.2%

 

-7.1%

 

47.9%

Non-GAAP Adjusted Effective Tax Rate

 

17.0%

 

16.4%

 

21.4%

 

17.5%

Notes:
(1) See Explanation of Usage of Non-GAAP Performance Measures included in this supplementary information for additional details on the reasons why management believes presentation of each non-GAAP performance measure provides useful information to investors. The supplementary information included in this press release for the three months and year ended April 30, 2024 is preliminary and subject to change prior to the filing of our upcoming Annual Report on Form 10-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
 
(2) All amounts are approximate due to rounding.
 
(3) In the three months ended January 31, 2023, we settled a litigation matter related to consideration for a previous acquisition for $3.7 million.
 
(4) In fiscal year 2023 due to the closure of our operations in Russia, the Russia entity was deemed substantially liquidated. In the three months and year ended April 30, 2024, we wrote off an additional $0.2 million and $1.0 million, respectively, of cumulative translation adjustments in earnings. In the three months and year ended April 30, 2023, we wrote off $1.1 million of cumulative translation adjustments in earnings. This amount is reflected in Foreign exchange transaction gains (losses) on our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Net Income (Loss). In addition, in the three months and year ended April 30, 2023, there was a curtailment and settlement credit due to the wind up of the Russia Pension Plan of $1.8 million which is reflected in Other (expense) income, net on our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Net Income (Loss).
 
(5) Reflects the amortization of intangible assets established on the opening balance sheet for an acquired business. This includes the amortization of intangible assets such as developed technology, customer relationships, tradenames, etc., which is reflected in the "Amortization of intangible assets" line in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Net Income (Loss). It also includes the amortization of acquired product development assets, which is reflected in Cost of sales in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Net Income (Loss).
 
(6) We are divesting non-core businesses, including University Services, Wiley Edge, and CrossKnowledge. On January 1, 2024 we completed the sale of University Services. Wiley Edge and CrossKnowledge continue to be reported as held-for-sale, and we measured each business at the lower of carrying value or fair value less costs to sell. The total impairment charge for Wiley Edge in the year ended April 30, 2024 was $19.4 million, which includes a release of $1.2 million in the three months ended April 30, 2024. The total impairment charge for CrossKnowledge in the year ended April 30, 2024 was $55.4 million, which includes a release of $0.8 million in the three months ended April 30, 2024.



In the three months ended April 30, 2024, there was an increase in the pretax loss on the sale of University Services after the closing of approximately $5.6 million, which resulted in a total pretax loss of $107.0 million (net of tax loss of $80.5 million) in the year ended April 30, 2024. We also completed the sale of our Tuition Manager business previously in our Held for Sale or Sold segment, which resulted in a total net pretax loss of $1.5 million (net of tax loss of $1.1 million) in the year ended April 30, 2024.



In addition, our Adjusted EPS excludes the Adjusted Net Income of our Held for Sale or Sold segment.
 
(7) Represents the impact of using diluted weighted-average number of common shares outstanding (55.7 million for the year ended April 30, 2024) included in the Non-GAAP Adjusted EPS calculation in order to apply the dilutive impact on adjusted net income due to the effect of unvested restricted stock units and other stock awards. This impact occurs when a US GAAP net loss is reported and the effect of using dilutive shares is antidilutive.
 
(8) For the three months and year ended April 30, 2024 substantially all of the tax impact was from deferred taxes. For the three months ended April 30, 2023, the tax impact was $4.3 million of current tax benefit and $0.1 million of deferred taxes. For the year ended April 30, 2023, substantially all of the tax impact was from deferred taxes.
 
(9) In the three months ended July 31, 2021, the UK enacted legislation that increased its statutory rate from 19% to 25% effective April 1, 2023. For the three months and year ended April 30, 2023, we recorded a $2.4 million noncash deferred tax benefit related to pensions due to the UK statutory rate change. These adjustments impacted deferred taxes.
 
(10) In fiscal year 2024, due to temporary differences in the US, our deferred taxes reversed from a deferred tax liability position to a deferred tax asset position. Due to losses in the US resulting from impairments, restructuring, and acceleration of depreciation expense on capitalized software, we concluded it was more-likely-than-not that all or a portion of our deferred tax asset may not be realized. As a result, we increased the valuation allowance by $30.2 million.
 
JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION (1)
RECONCILIATION OF US GAAP NET INCOME (LOSS) TO NON-GAAP EBITDA AND ADJUSTED EBITDA
(unaudited)
 
Three Months Ended Year Ended
April 30, April 30,

2024

 

2023

 

2024

 

2023

Net Income (Loss)

$

25,265

$

68,344

$

(200,319)

$

17,233

Interest expense

 

11,411

 

10,560

 

49,003

 

37,745

Provision for income taxes

 

28,737

 

17,264

 

13,272

 

15,867

Depreciation and amortization

 

47,613

 

50,111

 

176,989

 

213,253

Non-GAAP EBITDA

 

113,026

 

146,279

 

38,945

 

284,098

Impairment of goodwill

 

-

 

-

 

108,449

 

99,800

Legal settlement

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

3,671

Restructuring and related charges

 

11,008

 

4,185

 

63,041

 

49,389

Foreign exchange (gains) losses, including the write off of certain cumulative translation adjustments

 

(530)

 

(611)

 

2,959

 

(894)

Losses (gains) on sale of businesses and certain assets and impairment charges related to assets held-for-sale

 

3,642

 

(10,177)

 

183,389

 

(10,177)

Other expense (income), net

 

257

 

(2,908)

 

3,957

 

(3,884)

Held for Sale or Sold segment Adjusted EBITDA (2)

 

(2,409)

 

(19,698)

 

(32,148)

 

(42,677)

Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA

$

124,994

$

117,070

$

368,592

$

379,326

Adjusted EBITDA Margin

 

28.3%

 

27.6%

 

22.8%

 

23.3%

Notes:
(1) See Explanation of Usage of Non-GAAP Performance Measures included in this supplementary information for additional details on the reasons why management believes presentation of each non-GAAP performance measure provides useful information to investors. The supplementary information included in this press release for the three months and year ended April 30, 2024 is preliminary and subject to change prior to the filing of our upcoming Annual Report on Form 10-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
 
(2) Our Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA excludes the Held for Sale or Sold segment Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA.
 
JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION (1) (2) (3)
SEGMENT RESULTS
(in thousands)
(unaudited)
 
% Change
Three Months Ended April 30, Favorable (Unfavorable)

2024

2023 (3)

Reported Constant Currency
Research:
Revenue, net
Research Publishing

$

233,455

$

240,889

-3%

-3%

Research Solutions

 

37,577

 

39,550

-5%

-5%

Total Revenue, net

$

271,032

$

280,439

-3%

-3%

 
Non-GAAP Adjusted Operating Income

$

68,282

$

83,245

-18%

-18%

Depreciation and amortization

 

25,513

 

22,700

-12%

-12%

Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA

$

93,795

$

105,945

-11%

-12%

Adjusted EBITDA margin

 

34.6%

 

37.8%

 
Learning:
Revenue, net
Academic

$

98,908

$

80,807

22%

22%

Professional

 

71,237

 

63,049

13%

13%

Total Revenue, net

$

170,145

$

143,856

18%

18%

 
Non-GAAP Adjusted Operating Income

$

57,682

$

32,915

75%

75%

Depreciation and amortization

 

16,358

 

15,253

-7%

-7%

Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA

$

74,040

$

48,168

54%

54%

Adjusted EBITDA margin

 

43.5%

 

33.5%

 
Held for Sale or Sold:
Total Revenue, net

$

27,284

$

101,832

-73%

-74%

 
Non-GAAP Adjusted Operating Income

$

2,409

$

11,997

-80%

-84%

Depreciation and amortization

 

-

 

7,701

# #
Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA

$

2,409

$

19,698

-88%

-90%

Adjusted EBITDA margin

 

8.8%

 

19.3%

 
Non-GAAP Adjusted Corporate Expenses

$

(48,583)

$

(41,500)

-17%

-17%

Depreciation and amortization

 

5,742

 

4,457

-29%

-29%

Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA

$

(42,841)

$

(37,043)

-16%

-15%

 
Consolidated Results:
Revenue, net

$

468,461

$

526,127

-11%

-11%

Less: Held for Sale or Sold Segment (4)

 

(27,284)

 

(101,832)

-73%

-74%

Adjusted Revenue, net

$

441,177

$

424,295

4%

4%

 
Operating Income

$

68,782

$

82,472

17%

17%

Adjustments:
Restructuring charges

 

11,008

 

4,185

# #
Held for Sale or Sold Segment Adjusted Operating Income (4)

 

(2,409)

 

(11,997)

-80%

76%

Non-GAAP Adjusted Operating Income

$

77,381

$

74,660

4%

4%

Depreciation and amortization

 

47,613

 

50,111

5%

5%

Less: Held for Sale or Sold Segment depreciation and amortization (4)

 

-

 

(7,701)

# #
Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA

$

124,994

$

117,070

7%

7%

Adjusted EBITDA margin

 

28.3%

 

27.6%

 
Notes:
(1) The supplementary information included in this press release for the three months and year ended April 30, 2024 is preliminary and subject to change prior to the filing of our upcoming Annual Report on Form 10-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
(2) All amounts are approximate due to rounding.
 
(3) As previously announced, in the three months ended July 31, 2023 we changed our reportable segments. Our new segment reporting structure consists of three reportable segments which includes Research (no change), Learning, and Held for Sale or Sold, as well as a Corporate expense category (no change). Prior period segment results have been recast to the new segment presentation. There were no changes to our consolidated financial results.
 
(4) Our Adjusted Revenue, Adjusted Operating Income and Adjusted EBITDA excludes the impact of our Held for Sale or Sold segment Revenue, Adjusted Operating Income or Loss and Adjusted EBITDA results.
 
(5) In the three months ended January 31, 2023, we settled a litigation matter related to consideration for a previous acquisition for $3.7 million.
 
(6) We discontinued use of the mthree trademark that resulted in a change in the useful life and accelerated amortization expense of $4.6 million in the three months ended July 31, 2022.
 
# Variance greater than 100%
 
JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION (1) (2) (3)
SEGMENT RESULTS
(in thousands)
(unaudited)
% Change
Year Ended April 30, Favorable (Unfavorable)

2024

2023 (3)

Reported Constant Currency
Research:

 

Revenue, net
Research Publishing

$

892,784

$

926,773

-4%

-5%

Research Solutions

 

149,921

 

153,538

-2%

-3%

Total Revenue, net

$

1,042,705

$

1,080,311

-3%

-4%

 
Non-GAAP Adjusted Operating Income

$

237,763

$

283,984

-16%

-16%

Depreciation and amortization

 

93,422

 

93,008

0%

0%

Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA

$

331,185

$

376,992

-12%

-13%

Adjusted EBITDA margin

 

31.8%

 

34.9%

 
Learning:
Revenue, net
Academic

$

323,541

$

304,633

6%

6%

Professional

 

251,198

 

241,762

4%

3%

Total Revenue, net

$

574,739

$

546,395

5%

5%

 
Non-GAAP Adjusted Operating Income

$

142,733

$

100,100

43%

43%

Depreciation and amortization

 

57,696

 

57,698

0%

0%

Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA

$

200,429

$

157,798

27%

27%

Adjusted EBITDA margin

 

34.9%

 

28.9%

 
Held for Sale or Sold:
Total Revenue, net

$

255,543

$

393,194

-35%

-36%

 
Non-GAAP Adjusted Operating Income

$

28,711

$

1,186

# #
Depreciation and amortization

 

3,437

 

41,491

92%

92%

Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA

$

32,148

$

42,677

-25%

-27%

Adjusted EBITDA margin

 

12.6%

 

10.9%

 
Non-GAAP Adjusted Corporate Expenses

$

(185,456)

$

(171,926)

-8%

-7%

Depreciation and amortization

 

22,434

 

16,462

-36%

-36%

Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA

$

(163,022)

$

(155,464)

-5%

-4%

 
Consolidated Results:
Revenue, net

$

1,872,987

$

2,019,900

-7%

-8%

Less: Held for Sale or Sold Segment (4)

 

(255,543)

 

(393,194)

-35%

-36%

Adjusted Revenue, net

$

1,617,444

$

1,626,706

-1%

-1%

 
Operating Income

$

52,261

$

55,890

-6%

-7%

Adjustments:
Restructuring charges

 

63,041

 

49,389

-28%

-28%

Impairment of goodwill

 

108,449

 

99,800

-9%

-9%

Legal settlement (5)

 

-

 

3,671

# #
Accelerated amortization of an intangible asset (6)

 

-

 

4,594

# #
Held for Sale or Sold Segment Adjusted Operating Income (4)

 

(28,711)

 

(1,186)

# #
Non-GAAP Adjusted Operating Income

$

195,040

$

212,158

-8%

-8%

Depreciation and amortization

 

176,989

 

208,659

15%

16%

Less: Held for Sale or Sold depreciation and amortization (4)

 

(3,437)

 

(41,491)

92%

92%

Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA

$

368,592

$

379,326

-3%

-3%

Adjusted EBITDA margin

 

22.8%

 

23.3%

 
# Variance greater than 100%
 
JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION (1)
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION
(in thousands)
(unaudited)
 
April 30, April 30,

2024

2023

Assets:
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents

$

83,249

$

106,714

Accounts receivable, net

 

224,198

 

310,121

Inventories, net

 

26,219

 

30,733

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

 

85,954

 

93,711

Current assets held-for-sale (2)

 

34,422

 

-

Total current assets

 

454,042

 

541,279

 
Technology, property and equipment, net

 

192,438

 

247,149

Intangible assets, net

 

615,694

 

854,794

Goodwill

 

1,091,368

 

1,204,050

Operating lease right-of-use assets

 

69,074

 

91,197

Other non-current assets

 

283,719

 

170,341

Non-current assets held-for-sale (2)

 

19,160

 

-

Total assets

$

2,725,495

$

3,108,810

 
Liabilities and shareholders' equity:
Current liabilities
Accounts payable

$

55,659

$

84,325

Accrued royalties

 

97,173

 

113,423

Short-term portion of long-term debt

 

7,500

 

5,000

Contract liabilities

 

483,778

 

504,695

Accrued employment costs

 

96,980

 

80,458

Short-term portion of operating lease liabilities

 

18,294

 

19,673

Other accrued liabilities

 

76,266

 

87,979

Current liabilities held-for-sale (2)

 

37,632

 

-

Total current liabilities

 

873,282

 

895,553

Long-term debt

 

767,096

 

743,292

Accrued pension liability

 

70,832

 

86,304

Deferred income tax liabilities

 

97,186

 

144,042

Operating lease liabilities

 

94,386

 

115,540

Other long-term liabilities

 

71,760

 

79,052

Long-term liabilities held-for-sale (2)

 

11,237

 

-

Total liabilities

 

1,985,779

 

2,063,783

Shareholders' equity

 

739,716

 

1,045,027

Total liabilities and shareholders' equity

$

2,725,495

$

3,108,810

Notes:
(1) The supplementary information included in this press release for April 30, 2024 is preliminary and subject to change prior to the filing of our upcoming Annual Report on Form 10-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
 
(2) As previously announced, we are divesting non-core businesses, including Wiley Edge and CrossKnowledge. These businesses met the held-for-sale criteria and were measured at the lower of carrying value or fair value less costs to sell. We recorded a pretax impairment of $74.8 million in the year ended April 30, 2024 which is recorded as a contra asset account within Current assets held-for-sale and Non-current assets held-for-sale.
 
JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION (1)
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(in thousands)
(unaudited)
 
Year Ended
April 30,

2024

2023

Operating activities:
Net (loss) income

$

(200,319)

$

17,233

Impairment of goodwill

 

108,449

 

99,800

Losses (gains) on sale of businesses and certain assets and impairment charges related to assets held-for-sale

 

183,389

 

(10,217)

Amortization of intangible assets

 

55,994

 

84,881

Amortization of product development assets

 

22,835

 

32,366

Depreciation and amortization of technology, property, and equipment

 

98,160

 

96,006

Other noncash charges

 

106,507

 

95,636

Net change in operating assets and liabilities

 

(167,377)

 

(138,634)

Net cash provided by operating activities

 

207,638

 

277,071

 
Investing activities:
Additions to technology, property, and equipment

 

(76,080)

 

(81,155)

Product development spending

 

(17,262)

 

(22,958)

Businesses acquired in purchase transactions, net of cash acquired

 

(3,116)

 

(7,292)

(Costs) proceeds related to the sale of businesses and certain assets

 

(1,771)

 

15,585

Acquisitions of publication rights and other

 

(8,414)

 

(2,578)

Net cash used in investing activities

 

(106,643)

 

(98,398)

 
Financing activities:
Net debt borrowings (repayments)

 

27,767

 

(38,934)

Cash dividends

 

(76,964)

 

(77,298)

Purchases of treasury shares

 

(45,050)

 

(35,000)

Other

 

(12,974)

 

(17,336)

Net cash used in financing activities

 

(107,221)

 

(168,568)

 
Effects of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash

 

(1,493)

 

(3,570)

 
Change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash for period

 

(7,719)

 

6,535

 
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash - beginning

 

107,262

 

100,727

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash - ending (2)

$

99,543

$

107,262

 
CALCULATION OF NON-GAAP FREE CASH FLOW LESS PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT SPENDING (3)
 
Year Ended
April 30,

2024

2023

Net cash provided by operating activities

$

207,638

$

277,071

Less: Additions to technology, property, and equipment

 

(76,080)

 

(81,155)

Less: Product development spending

 

(17,262)

 

(22,958)

Free cash flow less product development spending

$

114,296

$

172,958

Notes:
(1) The supplementary information included in this press release for the year ended April 30, 2024 is preliminary and subject to change prior to the filing of our upcoming Annual Report on Form 10-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
 
(2) Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash as of April 30, 2024 includes held-for-sale cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of $16.2 million.
 
(3) See Explanation of Usage of Non-GAAP Performance Measures included in this supplemental information.
 

JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC.

EXPLANATION OF USAGE OF NON-GAAP PERFORMANCE MEASURES
 
In this earnings release and supplemental information, management may present the following non-GAAP performance measures:
 
  • Adjusted Earnings Per Share (Adjusted EPS);
  • Free Cash Flow less Product Development Spending;
  • Adjusted Revenue;
  • Adjusted Operating Income and margin;
  • Adjusted Income Before Taxes;
  • Adjusted Income Tax Provision;
  • Adjusted Effective Tax Rate;
  • EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and margin;
  • Organic revenue; and
  • Results on a constant currency basis.

 

Management uses these non-GAAP performance measures as supplemental indicators of our operating performance and financial position as well as for internal reporting and forecasting purposes, when publicly providing our outlook, to evaluate our performance and calculate incentive compensation.
 
We present these non-GAAP performance measures in addition to US GAAP financial results because we believe that these non-GAAP performance measures provide useful information to certain investors and financial analysts for operational trends and comparisons over time. The use of these non-GAAP performance measures may also provide a consistent basis to evaluate operating profitability and performance trends by excluding items that we do not consider to be controllable activities for this purpose.
 
The performance metric used by our chief operating decision maker to evaluate performance of our reportable segments is Adjusted Operating Income. We present both Adjusted Operating Income and Adjusted EBITDA for each of our reportable segments as we believe Adjusted EBITDA provides additional useful information to certain investors and financial analysts for operational trends and comparisons over time. It removes the impact of depreciation and amortization expense, as well as presents a consistent basis to evaluate operating profitability and compare our financial performance to that of our peer companies and competitors.
 
For example:
  • Adjusted EPS, Adjusted Revenue, Adjusted Operating Income, Adjusted Income Before Taxes, Adjusted Income Tax Provision, Adjusted Effective Tax Rate, Adjusted EBITDA, and organic revenue (excluding acquisitions) provide a more comparable basis to analyze operating results and earnings and are measures commonly used by shareholders to measure our performance.
  • Free Cash Flow less Product Development Spending helps assess our ability, over the long term, to create value for our shareholders as it represents cash available to repay debt, pay common stock dividends, and fund share repurchases and acquisitions.
  • Results on a constant currency basis remove distortion from the effects of foreign currency movements to provide better comparability of our business trends from period to period. We measure our performance excluding the impact of foreign currency (or at constant currency), which means that we apply the same foreign currency exchange rates for the current and equivalent prior period.
In addition, we have historically provided these or similar non-GAAP performance measures and understand that some investors and financial analysts find this information helpful in analyzing our operating margins and net income, and in comparing our financial performance to that of our peer companies and competitors. Based on interactions with investors, we also believe that our non-GAAP performance measures are regarded as useful to our investors as supplemental to our US GAAP financial results, and that there is no confusion regarding the adjustments or our operating performance to our investors due to the comprehensive nature of our disclosures.
 
We have not provided our 2025 outlook for the most directly comparable US GAAP financial measures, as they are not available without unreasonable effort due to the high variability, complexity, and low visibility with respect to certain items, including restructuring charges and credits, gains and losses on foreign currency, and other gains and losses. These items are uncertain, depend on various factors, and could be material to our consolidated results computed in accordance with US GAAP.
 
Non-GAAP performance measures do not have standardized meanings prescribed by US GAAP and therefore may not be comparable to the calculation of similar measures used by other companies and should not be viewed as alternatives to measures of financial results under US GAAP. The adjusted metrics have limitations as analytical tools, and should not be considered in isolation from, or as a substitute for, US GAAP information. It does not purport to represent any similarly titled US GAAP information and is not an indicator of our performance under US GAAP. Non-GAAP financial metrics that we present may not be comparable with similarly titled measures used by others. Investors are cautioned against placing undue reliance on these non-GAAP measures.

 

Brian Campbell

brian.campbell@wiley.com

1-201.748.6874

Source: John Wiley and Sons

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