Wiley Inc. increased its fiscal 2026 share‑repurchase authorization to $100 million, a $40 million lift from the $60 million authorization approved for fiscal 2025. The new authorization is part of a $250 million program that the board approved on June 25, 2025, and the company has already executed roughly $35 million of the new authorization in the first half of the year, leaving $65 million available for future buybacks.
The decision to boost the buyback program reflects Wiley’s confidence in its cash‑flow generation and balance‑sheet strength. The company’s long‑standing dividend increase program—32 consecutive annual hikes—underscores its commitment to returning capital to shareholders. The move also aligns with Wiley’s multi‑year transformation program, which seeks to optimize operations and capital structure while investing in high‑growth areas such as AI licensing.
Segment performance has been a key driver of the capital‑allocation decision. Wiley’s Research segment, which has benefited from AI licensing and open‑access growth, delivered strong revenue and margin expansion, while the Learning segment has faced headwinds that led the company to narrow its revenue guidance to the lower end of its range. The robust performance in Research has bolstered management’s confidence in the company’s financial profile, making the expanded buyback a logical extension of its capital‑return strategy.
Wiley’s Q2 fiscal 2026 earnings, released on December 10, 2025, were mixed. Earnings per share beat expectations by $0.24, driven by strict cost controls that preserved margins despite a slight revenue miss. Revenue fell 4% to $2.89 billion, largely because the Learning segment’s demand weakened, offsetting the strong growth in Research. The mixed results tempered the market’s reaction, but the increased buyback authorization was viewed as a positive signal of confidence in the company’s long‑term prospects.
CEO Matthew Kissner said the expanded buyback “reflects our strong financial position and the confidence we have in the continued growth of our Research segment, especially as our content is increasingly used in AI applications.” He added that the move is part of a broader strategy to balance shareholder returns with strategic investments in high‑return verticals.
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