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Recent Accounting Standards (Policies)
9 Months Ended
Jan. 31, 2024
Accounting Standards Update and Change in Accounting Principle [Abstract]  
Basis of Accounting Basis of Presentation
Throughout this report, when we refer to “Wiley,” the “Company,” “we,” “our,” or “us,” we are referring to John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and all our subsidiaries, except where the context indicates otherwise.
Our Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include all the accounts of the Company and our subsidiaries. We have eliminated all intercompany transactions and balances in consolidation. In the opinion of management, the accompanying Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements contain all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, necessary to state fairly the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Condition, Results of Operations, Comprehensive Loss and Cash Flows for the periods presented. Operating results for the interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results expected for the full year. All amounts are presented in United States (US) dollars, unless otherwise specified. All amounts are in thousands, except per share amounts, and approximate due to rounding. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the most recent audited consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2023 as filed with the SEC on June 26, 2023 (2023 Form 10-K).
Our Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements were prepared in accordance with the interim reporting requirements of the SEC. As permitted under those rules, annual footnotes or other financial information that are normally required by US GAAP have been condensed or omitted. The preparation of our Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements in conformity with US GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the condensed consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current year’s presentation.
Recently Adopted and Issued Accounting Standards
Recently Adopted Accounting Standards
Accounting for Contract Assets and Contract Liabilities from Contracts with Customers
In October 2021, the FASB issued ASU 2021-08, “Business Combinations (Topic 805): Accounting for Contract Assets and Contract Liabilities from Contracts with Customers.” This ASU requires that an acquirer recognize, and measure contract assets and contract liabilities acquired in a business combination in accordance with ASC 606 “Revenue from Contracts with Customers” (Topic 606) as if it had originated the contracts. Generally, this would result in an acquirer recognizing and measuring the acquired contract assets and contract liabilities consistent with how they were recognized and measured in the acquiree’s financial statements if the acquiree prepared financial statements in accordance with US GAAP. We adopted ASU 2021-08 on May 1, 2023. The standard is applied prospectively to business combinations occurring on or after the effective date of the amendments. The adoption did not have an impact on our consolidated financial statements at the time of adoption.
Recently Issued Accounting Standards
Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures
In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, “Income Taxes (Topic 740) - Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures.” This ASU enhances the transparency, effectiveness and comparability of income tax disclosures by requiring consistent categories and greater disaggregation of information related to income tax rate reconciliations and the jurisdictions in which income taxes are paid. This ASU is effective for our annual disclosures starting fiscal year 2026. Early adoption is permitted. A public entity should apply the amendments in this ASU on a prospective basis with the option to apply the standard retrospectively. We are currently assessing the impact of the disclosure requirements on our consolidated financial statements.
Segment Reporting - Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures
In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07, “Segment Reporting (Topic 280) - Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures.” This ASU improves reportable segment disclosure requirements, primarily through enhanced disclosures about significant segment expenses. This ASU is effective for our annual fiscal year 2025, and interim periods starting in fiscal year 2026. Early adoption is permitted. A public entity should apply the amendments in this ASU retrospectively to all prior periods presented in the financial statements. We are currently assessing the impact of the disclosure requirements on our consolidated financial statements.
Disclosure Improvements - Codification Amendment in Response to the SEC’s Disclosure Update and Simplification Initiative
In October 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-06, “Disclosure Improvements - Codification Amendment in Response to the SEC’s Disclosure Update and Simplification Initiative.” This ASU modified the disclosure and presentation requirements of a variety of codification topics by aligning them with the SEC’s regulations. The amendments to the various topics should be applied prospectively, and the effective date will be determined for each individual disclosure based on the effective date of the SEC’s removal of the related disclosure. If the SEC has not removed the applicable requirements from Regulation S-X or Regulation S-K by June 30, 2027, then this ASU will not become effective. Early adoption is prohibited. We do not expect the amendments in this ASU to have a material impact to our disclosures in our consolidated financial statements.
Revenue from Contract with Customer
Research
Research customers include academic, corporate, government, and public libraries, funders of research, researchers, scientists, clinicians, engineers and technologists, scholarly and professional societies, and students and professors. Research products are sold and distributed globally through multiple channels, including research libraries and library consortia, independent subscription agents, direct sales to researchers and professional society members, and other customers. Publishing centers include Australia, China, Germany, India, the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (US). The majority of revenue generated from Research products is recognized over time. Total Research revenue was $256.2 million and $771.7 million in the three and nine months ended January 31, 2024, respectively.
We disaggregated revenue by Research Publishing and Research Solutions to reflect the different type of products and services provided.
Research Publishing Products
Research Publishing products provide scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly journals, as well as related content and services, to academic, corporate, and government libraries, learned societies, and individual researchers and other professionals. Research Publishing revenue was $216.6 million and $659.3 million in the three and nine months ended January 31, 2024, respectively, and the majority is recognized over time.
In both the three and nine months ended January 31, 2024, Research Publishing products generated approximately 86% of their revenue from contracts with their customers from Journal Subscriptions (pay to read), Open Access (pay to publish) and Transformational Agreements (read and publish), and the remainder from Licensing, Backfiles, and Other.
Research Solutions Products and Services
Research Solutions products and services include corporate and society service offerings such as advertising, spectroscopy software and spectral databases, job board software and career center services, publishing services such as editorial operations, production, copyediting, system support and consulting, and a journal submission and peer-review management system. In addition, Research Solutions includes Atypon platforms and services. Atypon is a publishing software and service provider that enables scholarly and professional societies and publishers to deliver, host, enhance, market, and manage their content on the web through the LiteratumTM platform. Research Solutions revenue was $39.6 million and $112.3 million in the three and nine months ended January 31, 2024, respectively, and the majority is recognized over time.
In the three and nine months ended January 31, 2024, Research Solutions products and services generated approximately 68% and 67%, respectively, of their revenue from contracts with their customers from corporate and society offerings and 32% and 33%, respectively, from Atypon platforms and services.
Learning

Learning customers include chain and online booksellers, libraries, colleges and universities, corporations, direct to consumer, web sites, and other online applications. Total Learning revenue was $146.3 million and $404.6 million in the three and nine months ended January 31, 2024, respectively.
We disaggregated revenue by type of products provided. Learning products are Academic and Professional.
Academic

Academic products revenue was $87.2 million and $224.6 million in the three and nine months ended January 31, 2024, respectively. Academic products and services including scientific, professional, and education print and digital books, and digital courseware to libraries, corporations, students, professionals, and researchers. Communities served include business, finance, accounting, management, leadership, technology, behavioral health, engineering/architecture, science and medicine, and education. Products are developed for worldwide distribution through multiple channels, including chain and online booksellers, libraries, colleges and universities, corporations, direct to consumer, websites, distributor networks and other online applications.

In the three and nine months ended January 31, 2024, Academic products generated approximately 53% and 60%, respectively, of their revenue from contracts with their customers for print and digital publishing, which is recognized at a point in time. Digital Courseware products in the three and nine months ended January 31, 2024 generate approximately 36% and 31%, respectively, of their revenue from contracts with their customers which is recognized over time. The remainder of their revenues were from Licensing and Other, which has a mix of revenue recognized at a point in time and over time.
Professional
Professional products revenue was $59.1 million and $180.0 million in the three and nine months ended January 31, 2024, respectively. Professional provides learning, development, publishing, and assessment services for businesses and professionals.

Our trade publishing produces professional books, which includes business and finance, technology, professional development for educators, test preparation books and other professional categories, as well as the For Dummies® brand. Products are sold to brick-and-mortar and online retailers, wholesalers who supply such bookstores, college bookstores, individual practitioners, corporations, and government agencies.

Our assessments offering includes high-demand soft-skills training solutions that are delivered to organizational clients through online digital delivery platforms, either directly or through an authorized distributor network of independent consultants, trainers, and coaches.
In the three and nine months ended January 31, 2024, Professional products generated approximately 55% and 57%, respectively, of their revenue from contracts with their customers for trade print and digital publishing, which is recognized at a point in time. Our assessments offering in the three and nine months ended January 31, 2024 generates approximately 28% and 31%, respectively, of their revenue from contracts with their customers which has a mix of revenue recognized at a point in time and over time. The remainder of their revenues were from Licensing and Other, which has a mix of revenue recognized at a point in time and over time.
Held for Sale or Sold
Held for Sale or Sold revenue was $58.2 million and $228.3 million in the three and nine months ended January 31, 2024, respectively. Offerings include University Services, Wiley Edge and CrossKnowledge.
The University Services business was sold on January 1, 2024, and it previously offered institutions and their students a rich portfolio of education technology and student and faculty support services, allowing the institutions to reach more students online with their own quality academic programs. University Services revenue was mainly recognized over time.
Wiley Edge sources, trains, and prepares aspiring students and professionals to meet the skill needs of today’s technology careers, and then places them with some of the world's largest financial institutions, technology companies, and government agencies. Wiley Edge also works with its clients to retrain and retain existing employees so they can continue to meet the changing demands of today’s technology landscape. Wiley Edge revenue is recognized at the point in time the services are provided to its customers.
CrossKnowledge services includes corporate learning online learning and training solutions for global corporations, universities, and small and medium-sized enterprises sold on a subscription or fee basis. CrossKnowledge revenue is recognized over time.

Held for Sale or Sold also includes the revenue associated with those businesses which have been sold which includes Wiley's Efficient Learning test prep portfolio business, and our advancement courses business which were both sold in fiscal year 2023, and our Tuition Manager business which was sold in the three months ended July 31, 2023.
Accounts Receivable, net and Contract Liability Balances
When consideration is received, or such consideration is unconditionally due, from a customer prior to transferring goods or services to the customer under the terms of a contract, a contract liability is recorded. Contract liabilities are recognized as revenue when, or as, control of the products or services are transferred to the customer and all revenue recognition criteria have been met.