Wiley Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2020 Results
June 11, 2020 - Hoboken, NJ – John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (NYSE: JW-A and JW-B), a global leader in research and education, today announced results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended April 30, 2020.
FOURTH QUARTER 2020 SUMMARY
● | GAAP Results: Revenue of $475 million (-3%) and EPS of -$2.83, primarily due to impact of unusual items totalling -$3.49 per share, including non-cash goodwill and trade name impairments |
● | Adjusted Results (at constant currency): Revenue -2%, EBITDA -23%, and EPS -44%, mainly reflecting the COVID-19 impact on print books, test prep, and corporate training |
● | Strong momentum in Open Access research publishing and digital courseware |
● | Addition of four new university partners in Education Services (Drake University, University of Iowa, Methodist University, and Point University) |
FISCAL YEAR 2020 SUMMARY
● | GAAP results: Revenue of $1,831 million, and EPS of -$1.32 primarily due to fourth quarter non-cash goodwill and trade name impairments |
● | Adjusted results (at constant currency): Revenue +3%, EBITDA -8%, and EPS -21% |
● | Free Cash Flow of $173 million, up $24 million (+16%) from prior year |
● | Digital products and tech-enabled services rose to nearly 80% of total revenue |
“I am proud of our team’s accomplishments during this difficult period, including the steady execution of our strategy to gain scale in research, accelerate digital courseware adoption, and expand our university partner base,” said Brian Napack, President and CEO. “With the onset of the pandemic, our colleagues mobilized rapidly to help researchers rush critical peer-reviewed research to market and to enable our university partners to pivot quickly to online education. Their work has been essential to ensure that scientific inquiry and essential education continue unabated through this period of health, economic and social crisis.”
Mr. Napack continued: "While the broad shutdown caused by COVID-19 has created near-term headwinds and uncertainty, our financial position is strong and our strategic plans are tightly aligned with important trends in peer-reviewed research and outcome-oriented online education which are continuing to progress through this crisis.”
FOURTH QUARTER PERFORMANCE
GAAP Measures Unaudited ($millions except for EPS) | | | Q4 2020 | | | | Q4 2019 | | | Change | |
Revenue | | $ | 474.6 | | | $ | 491.2 | | | | (3 | %) |
Diluted EPS | | $ | (2.83 | ) | | $ | 1.10 | | | $ | (3.93 | ) |
Non-GAAP Measures | | | Q4 2020 | | | | Q4 2019 | | | Change Constant Currency | |
Revenue | | $ | 474.6 | | | $ | 491.2 | | | | (2 | %) |
Adjusted EBITDA | | $ | 92.8 | | | $ | 121.1 | | | | (23 | %) |
Adjusted EPS | | $ | 0.66 | | | $ | 1.05 | | | | (44 | %) |
Excluding acquisitions and currency impact, revenue declined 6% for the quarter. Wiley recorded an unfavorable FX variance of $7.1 million in revenue, $0.4 million in Adjusted EBITDA, and $0.08 in Adjusted EPS. FX had marginal impact on Free Cash Flow.
Revenue
● | Research Publishing & Platforms declined 3% as reported and 1% at constant currency with growth in open access offset by delays in renewing subscription agreements due to COVID-19 shutdowns and university disruption. |
● | Academic & Professional Learning declined 17% as reported and 16% at constant currency mainly due to COVID-19 impact on print books (retail closures), test prep (cancelled exams), and corporate training (postponed on-site training). |
● | Education Services increased 41% as reported and 42% at constant currency, driven by the three-month contribution from mthree (+$13 million) and organic growth of 16% in Online Program Management (OPM) services. |
Adjusted EBITDA
● | Research Publishing & Platforms Adjusted EBITDA at constant currency was flat, reflecting higher investment in editorial resources to support increased publishing volume offset by business optimization savings. |
● | Academic & Professional Learning Adjusted EBITDA at constant currency declined 49%, reflecting COVID-19 impact on revenue, as well as investments in acquisitions and other growth initiatives. |
● | Education Services Adjusted EBITDA grew $5 million to $11 million due to revenue growth and savings from business optimization initiatives. |
● | Corporate Expenses rose 15% to $45 million mainly due to higher employee costs driven by acquisitions. |
EPS
● | GAAP EPS was a loss of $2.83 primarily due to non-cash, non-recurring charges in the quarter. |
o | Goodwill Impairment in Education Services – approximately $110 million, or $1.95 per share in the Education Services segment. The non-cash impairment of goodwill reflects performance below acquisition expectations and COVID-19-related headwinds. Management remains confident in the segment’s strong growth and profit potential, which is enhanced by the current accelerated shift to online learning. |
o | Trade Name Impairment in Research – approximately $90 million, or $1.32 per share related to the Blackwell trade name. As a result of a decision to simplify Wiley’s brand portfolio and unify its research journal content under one Wiley brand, the Company has decided to sharply reduce its use of the Blackwell trade name, acquired in 2007. The resulting non-cash impairment charge is wholly unrelated to COVID-19 or the expected future financial performance of the Research Publishing & Platforms segment. |
● | Restructuring Charges of $15 million, or $0.20 per share, were related to the Company’s multi-year business optimization program, which is above prior estimates due to additional actions to mitigate the impact of COVID-19. |
● | Adjusted EPS (-44%) reflected the adverse impact of COVID-19, investments in growth initiatives, including acquisitions, and higher interest expense. |
Returns to Shareholders
● | Repurchased 325,000 shares for a total of $12 million at an average cost per share of $35.66. In March, Wiley’s Board of Directors approved a new $200 million share repurchase authorization. Given the economic uncertainty related to COVID-19, the Company has temporarily suspended share repurchases. |
● | Paid cash dividends of $19 million ($0.34 per share). |
FISCAL YEAR 2020 PERFORMANCE
GAAP Measures Unaudited ($millions except for EPS) | | FY 2020 | | | FY 2019 | | | Change | |
Revenue | | $ | 1,831 | | | $ | 1,800 | | | | +2 | % |
Diluted EPS | | $ | (1.32 | ) | | $ | 2.91 | | | | | |
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities | | $ | 288.4 | | | $ | 250.8 | | | | +15 | % |
Non-GAAP Measures | | FY 2020 | | | FY 2019 | | | Change Constant Currency | |
Revenue | | $ | 1,831 | | | $ | 1,800 | | | | +3 | % |
Adjusted EBITDA | | $ | 355.8 | | | $ | 388.3 | | | | (8 | %) |
Adjusted EPS | | $ | 2.40 | | | $ | 2.96 | | | | (21 | %) |
Free Cash Flow Less Product Development Spending | | $ | 173.2 | | | $ | 149.2 | | | | +16 | % |
Excluding acquisitions and currency impact, revenue was down 1%. Wiley recorded an unfavorable FX variance of $19.8 million in revenue, $1.5 million in Adjusted EBITDA, $0.07 in Adjusted EPS. FX had marginal impact on Free Cash Flow.
● | Revenue growth was driven by Research Publishing & Platforms (+1% as reported, +2% constant currency) and Education Services (+47% as reported, or +11% constant currency and excluding impact of acquisitions), partially offset by a decline in Academic & Professional Learning (-7% as reported, -9% at constant currency and excluding impact of acquisitions). |
● | GAAP EPS loss was primarily due to fourth quarter impairment charges and full year restructuring charges totalling $3.29 and $0.43 per share, respectively. |
● | Adjusted EPS decline was largely due to investment in growth initiatives, including acquisitions, the impact of COVID-19, and higher interest expense. |
● | Adjusted EBITDA decline was due to investment in growth initiatives and the impact of COVID-19. |
● | Liquidity and Balance Sheet: As of April 30, Wiley had $202 million of cash on hand and undrawn revolving credit in excess of $700 million. The Company’s net debt-to-EBITDA ratio was 1.6. |
● | Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities rose 15% to $288 million, primarily due to improved working capital compared to prior year. |
● | Free Cash Flow less Product Development Spending was $173 million, up $24 million over prior year. Capital Expenditures rose $14 million to $115 million primarily due to increased investment in technology-enabled products and services. |
● | Acquisitions: The Company spent $230 million on acquisitions in fiscal year 2020, including mthree (tech education and job placement), zybooks (digital courseware for STEM), Knewton (adaptive learning technology and digital courseware), certain Bio-Rad Informatics products (spectroscopy tool for corporate and government researchers), and Madgex (career center for researchers). |
● | Returns to Shareholders: The Company utilized approximately $77 million of cash for dividends and $47 million for share repurchases this year with an average per share cost of $43.05. In March, Wiley’s Board of Directors approved a new $200 million share repurchase authorization. Given the COVID-19 uncertainty, the Company has temporarily suspended the share repurchase program. |
FISCAL YEAR 2021 OUTLOOK
The isolation measures related to COVID-19 continue to impact the Research and Education businesses, with uncertainties about student enrollments, university budgets, and corporate spending. Wiley cannot confidently predict the extent or duration of the impact of the pandemic on its operating results and is therefore not providing a fiscal year 2021 outlook.
The CEO and Executive Leadership Team (ELT) have decided to take six-month base pay reductions of 30% and 15%, respectively. In addition, the Board of Directors will reduce the cash-based portion of their annual retainers by similar amounts for a similar duration. This compensation reduction is limited to the CEO, ELT and Board.
“We have implemented a number of belt-tightening measures in response to the economic slowdown,” said Mr. Napack. “While not financially necessary, the Executive Leadership Team and Board of Directors are taking temporary pay reductions to share in the burden of cost reduction with our Wiley colleagues. We believe that it’s the right thing to do given the significant impact of the COVID-19 crisis on our colleagues, customers and partners.”
Mr. Napack continued: “For over 200 years, Wiley has continued to thrive through operational discipline, strategic foresight and fiscal prudence, and we will continue to do so going forward,” said Mr. Napack. “Over the near-term, our performance is substantially dependent upon the duration of the shutdown. We will restore annual guidance when visibility returns.”
Scheduled for today, June 11 at 10:00 a.m. (ET). Access the webcast on Wiley.com, at https://www.wiley.com/en-us/investors. U.S. callers, please dial (844) 231-0103 and enter the participant code 8193099#. International callers, please dial (216) 562-0402 and enter the participant code 8193099#.
ABOUT WILEY
Wiley drives the world forward with research and education. Through publishing, platforms and services, we help researchers, professionals, students, universities, and corporations to achieve their goals in an ever-changing world. And for more than 200 years, we have delivered consistent performance to all our stakeholders. The Company's website can be accessed at www.wiley.com.
NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
Wiley provides non-GAAP financial measures and performance results such as “Adjusted EPS,” “Adjusted Revenue,” “Adjusted Operating Income,” “Adjusted EBITDA,” “Adjusted CTP,” “Free Cash Flow less Product Development Spending,” “organic 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 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.
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 Company’s ability to realize operating savings over time and in fiscal year 2020 in connection with our multi-year Business Optimization Program; (xi) the impact of COVID-19 on our operations, performance, and financial condition; and (xii) 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.
Investor Contact:
Brian Campbell
201.748.6874
brian.campbell@wiley.com
Media Contact:
Nadeen Ayala
201.748.6094
nayala@wiley.com