Wiley Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2021 Results
June 10, 2021 - 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, 2021.
FOURTH QUARTER 2021 SUMMARY
● | GAAP results: Revenue of $536 million, Operating Income of $51 million, and EPS of $0.73 |
● | Adjusted results (at constant currency): Revenue +10%, EBITDA +21%, and EPS +41% |
FISCAL YEAR 2021 SUMMARY
● | GAAP results: Revenue of $1,942 million, Operating Income of $186 million, EPS of $2.63, and Cash Flow from Operations of $360 million |
● | Adjusted results (at constant currency): Revenue +4%, EBITDA +16%, and EPS +27% |
● | Free Cash Flow of $257 million, up 48% from prior year |
● | Digital products and tech-enabled services now at 82% of total revenue, up from 80% a year ago |
“Fiscal 2021 was a good year for Wiley as our growth strategies in open research and career-connected education took firm root and benefited from long-term trends pulled forward by COVID,” said Brian Napack, President and CEO. “These positive market dynamics, combined with great execution in a very complex time, resulted in strong performance and increasing momentum. In the face of historic challenges, Wiley continued to help researchers and learners pursue their critical journeys of discovery and growth.”
FOURTH QUARTER PERFORMANCE
GAAP Measures Unaudited ($millions except for EPS) | | | Q4 2021 | | | | Q4 2020 | | | Change | |
Revenue | | $ | 536.3 | | | $ | 474.6 | | | | +13 | % |
Operating Income (Loss) | | $ | 51.2 | | | $ | (170.7 | ) | | NM | |
Diluted EPS | | $ | 0.73 | | | $ | (2.83 | ) | | NM | |
Non-GAAP Measures | | | Q4 2021 | | | | Q4 2020 | | | Change Constant Currency | |
Revenue | | $ | 536.3 | | | $ | 474.6 | | | | +10 | % |
Adjusted EBITDA | | $ | 112.7 | | | $ | 92.8 | | | | +21 | % |
Adjusted EPS | | $ | 0.84 | | | $ | 0.66 | | | | +41 | % |
Excluding FX and acquisitions, revenue rose 7% for the quarter. Wiley recorded a favorable FX variance of $14.8 million in revenue and $0.5 million in Adjusted EBITDA, along with an unfavorable FX variance of $0.09 in Adjusted EPS.
Revenue
● | Research Publishing & Platforms rose 13% as reported and 4% at constant currency and excluding acquisitions, driven primarily by strong growth in open access . |
● | Academic & Professional Learning grew 15% as reported and 12% at constant currency driven by strong growth in Education Publishing and trade publishing, accompanied by further recovery in corporate training. |
● | Education Services increased 9% as reported and 7% at constant currency, driven by growth in online enrollment and mthree IT talent placements. |
Adjusted EBITDA
● | Research Publishing & Platforms was down 6% at constant currency due to increased editorial resources to support higher article output, as well as higher annual incentive compensation and Hindawi acquisition costs. |
● | Academic & Professional Learning rose 57% at constant currency, reflecting revenue growth, business optimization gains, and COVID-related savings, offsetting higher annual incentive compensation. |
● | Education Services rose 32%, driven by revenue growth and business optimization gains, offsetting higher annual incentive compensation. |
● | Adjusted Corporate Expenses were down 11% mainly due to lower retirement plan expense. |
EPS
● | GAAP EPS was $0.73 compared to a loss of ($2.83) in the prior year period. Wiley recorded a restructuring charge of $0.12 per share this quarter primarily related to business optimization efforts. |
● | Adjusted EPS growth was primarily due to higher operating income and a lower effective tax rate. |
FISCAL YEAR 2021 PERFORMANCE
GAAP Measures Unaudited ($millions except for EPS) | | Fiscal 2021 | | | Fiscal 2020 | | | Change | |
Revenue | | $ | 1,941.5 | | | $ | 1,831.5 | | | | +6 | % |
Operating Income (Loss) | | $ | 185.5 | | | $ | (54.3 | ) | | NM | |
Diluted EPS | | $ | 2.63 | | | $ | (1.32 | ) | | NM | |
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities | | $ | 359.9 | | | $ | 288.4 | | | | +25 | % |
Non-GAAP Measures | | Fiscal 2021 | | | Fiscal 2020 | | | Change Constant Currency | |
Revenue | | $ | 1,941.5 | | | $ | 1,831.5 | | | | +4 | % |
Adjusted EBITDA | | $ | 419.0 | | | $ | 355.8 | | | | +16 | % |
Adjusted EPS | | $ | 2.92 | | | $ | 2.40 | | | | +27 | % |
Free Cash Flow Less Product Development Spending | | $ | 256.6 | | | $ | 173.2 | | | | +48 | % |
Excluding FX and acquisitions, revenue rose 1%. Wiley recorded a favorable FX variance of $27.8 million in revenue and $4.7 million in Adjusted EBITDA, along with an unfavorable FX variance of $0.13 in Adjusted EPS.
● | Revenue growth was driven by Research Publishing & Platforms (+7% as reported, +3% constant currency and excluding impact of acquisitions) and Education Services (+21% as reported, +7% constant currency and excluding impact of acquisitions), partially offset by a decline in Academic & Professional Learning (-1% as reported, -3% at constant currency and excluding impact of acquisitions). |
● | GAAP EPS increase mainly reflected operating income growth this year and impairment and restructuring charges in the prior year. Fiscal 2021 restructuring charges totalling $0.44 per share were primarily related to a previously disclosed reduction in Wiley’s real estate footprint. |
● | Adjusted EPS and Adjusted EBITDA growth largely due to revenue growth, business optimization gains, and COVID-related savings, including travel and events. Wiley’s Adjusted EBITDA margin rose from 19.4% in Fiscal 2020 to 21.6% in Fiscal 2021. |
● | Balance Sheet: The Company’s net debt-to-EBITDA ratio was 1.7, inclusive of acquisitions. |
● | Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities and Free Cash Flow less Product Development Spending increase primarily due to higher cash earnings. Capital Expenditures declined $12 million to $103 million largely due to delayed first-half investment in response to COVID-19. |
● | Acquisitions: The Company spent $298 million in cash to acquire Hindawi, a leader in open access research publishing. |
● | Returns to Shareholders: The Company utilized approximately $77 million of cash for dividends and $15.8 million to repurchase approximately 310,000 shares at an average cost per share of $50.93. |
FISCAL YEAR 2022 OUTLOOK
Given positive market trends and Wiley’s favorable momentum, the Company anticipates revenue growth to continue to accelerate in Fiscal 2022, with organic growth anticipated for all segments.
● | Revenue Outlook: Wiley expects revenue to exceed $2 billion for the first time, with mid-to-high single digit growth anticipated for Research Publishing & Platforms, low-single digit growth for Academic & Professional Learning, and low-teens growth for Education Services. |
● | Earnings Outlook: Wiley expects profit gains from revenue growth to be tempered by investments to accelerate growth initiatives, as well as higher T&E expenses due to the resumption of in-person business activities. Adjusted EPS performance is expected to be moderated by higher depreciation and amortization expense, and a higher effective tax rate. |
● | Free Cash Flow Outlook: Wiley expects strong cash earnings to be partially offset by higher capex (outlook of $120-$130 million vs. $103 million in Fiscal 2021), non-recurrence of a $21 million tax refund received in Fiscal 2021, and higher annual incentive compensation payments related to Fiscal 2021 performance. |
Metric ($millions, except EPS) | | Fiscal 2021 | | | Fiscal 2022 Outlook | |
Revenue | | $ | 1,942 | | | $ | 2,070 to $2,100 | |
Adjusted EBITDA | | $ | 419 | | | $ | 415 to $435 | |
Adjusted EPS | | $ | 2.92 | | | $ | 2.80 to $3.05 | |
Free Cash Flow | | $ | 257 | | | $ | 200 to $220 | |
EARNINGS CONFERENCE CALL
Scheduled for today, June 10 at 10:00 am (ET). Access webcast at Investor Relations at investors.wiley.com, or directly at https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/3081625/07B503CEDF337A0960EE124635E07D12. U.S. callers, please dial (844) 418-0103 and enter the participant code 3516229#. International callers, please dial (236) 714-3019 and enter the participant code 3516229#.
ABOUT WILEY
Wiley (NYSE: JW-A) is a global leader in research and education, unlocking human potential by enabling discovery, powering education, and shaping workforces. For over 200 years, Wiley has fueled the world’s knowledge ecosystem. Today, our high-impact content, platforms, and services help researchers, learners, institutions, and corporations achieve their goals in an ever-changing world. Visit us at Wiley.com, Like us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
Wiley provides non-GAAP financial measures and performance results such as “Adjusted EPS,” “Adjusted Operating Income,” “Adjusted EBITDA,” “Adjusted CTP,” “Adjusted Income before Taxes,” “Adjusted Income Tax Provision,” “Adjusted Effective Income Tax Rate,” “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. We have not provided our 2022 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 Company’s ability to realize operating savings over time and in fiscal year 2022 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.