PSO vs. WLY

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Pearson plc (PSO) and John Wiley & Sons (WLY).

Performance

PSO vs. WLY - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Pearson plc (PSO) and John Wiley & Sons (WLY). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

PSO vs. WLY - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022
PSO Pearson plc	-4.78%	-11.20%	34.16%	12.00%	14.23%
WLY John Wiley & Sons	24.39%	-27.22%	42.19%	-17.53%	-24.67%

Fundamentals

Market Cap PSO : $8.54B WLY : $2.01B
EPS PSO : $1.16 WLY : $2.88
PE Ratio PSO : 11.30 WLY : 13.24
PEG Ratio PSO : 0.44 WLY : 0.17
PS Ratio PSO : 1.22 WLY : 1.22
PB Ratio PSO : 2.35 WLY : 0.78
Total Revenue (TTM) PSO : $7.12B WLY : $1.67B
Gross Profit (TTM) PSO : $3.66B WLY : $1.17B
EBITDA (TTM) PSO : $2.01B WLY : $338.68M

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, PSO achieves a -4.78% return, which is significantly lower than WLY's 24.39% return.

PSO

• 1D: 2.34%
• 1M: 3.63%
• YTD: -4.78%
• 6M: -5.59%
• 1Y: -15.99%
• 3Y*: 10.40%
• 5Y*: 6.64%
• 10Y*: 4.34%

WLY

• 1D: 0.37%
• 1M: 22.82%
• YTD: 24.39%
• 6M: -3.88%
• 1Y: -11.19%
• 3Y*: 3.13%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Return for Risk

PSO vs. WLY — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

PSO

PSO Risk / Return Rank: 18
PSO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 14
PSO Sortino Ratio Rank: 16
PSO Omega Ratio Rank: 14
PSO Calmar Ratio Rank: 22
PSO Martin Ratio Rank: 24

WLY

WLY Risk / Return Rank: 28
WLY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 27
WLY Sortino Ratio Rank: 25
WLY Omega Ratio Rank: 25
WLY Calmar Ratio Rank: 31
WLY Martin Ratio Rank: 31

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

PSO vs. WLY - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Pearson plc (PSO) and John Wiley & Sons (WLY). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	PSO	WLY	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	-0.65	-0.31	-0.34
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	-0.72	-0.23	-0.49
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.89	0.97	-0.08
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.58	-0.32	-0.27
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	-1.02	-0.59	-0.43
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

PSO vs. WLY - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current PSO Sharpe Ratio is -0.65, which is lower than the WLY Sharpe Ratio of -0.31. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of PSO and WLY, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	PSO	WLY	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.65	-0.31	-0.34
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.23	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.14	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.01	-0.16	+0.17

Correlation

The correlation between PSO and WLY is 0.29, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

PSO vs. WLY - Dividend Comparison

PSO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.47%, less than WLY's 3.72% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
PSO Pearson plc	2.47%	2.12%	1.82%	2.21%	2.40%	3.27%	2.74%	2.90%	1.96%	5.14%	7.28%	7.48%
WLY John Wiley & Sons	3.72%	4.63%	3.22%	4.40%	3.46%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

PSO vs. WLY - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum PSO drawdown since its inception was -74.78%, which is greater than WLY's maximum drawdown of -43.95%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PSO and WLY.

Drawdown Indicators

	PSO	WLY	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-74.78%	-43.95%	-30.83%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-27.08%	-34.42%	+7.34%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-36.49%	—	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-58.32%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-23.21%	-24.93%	+1.72%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-36.72%	-23.02%	-13.70%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	15.52%	18.47%	-2.95%

Volatility

PSO vs. WLY - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Pearson plc (PSO) is 4.67%, while John Wiley & Sons (WLY) has a volatility of 15.53%. This indicates that PSO experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than WLY based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	PSO	WLY	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.67%	15.53%	-10.86%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	18.84%	27.84%	-9.00%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	24.67%	36.14%	-11.47%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	28.45%	34.91%	-6.46%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	32.08%	34.91%	-2.83%

Financials

PSO vs. WLY - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Pearson plc and John Wiley & Sons over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

PSO - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Pearson plc reported a gross profit of 974.95M and revenue of 1.84B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 52.9%.

WLY - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, John Wiley & Sons reported a gross profit of 288.91M and revenue of 410.04M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 70.5%.

PSO - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Pearson plc reported an operating income of 273.30M and revenue of 1.84B, resulting in an operating margin of 14.8%.

WLY - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, John Wiley & Sons reported an operating income of 62.76M and revenue of 410.04M, resulting in an operating margin of 15.3%.

PSO - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Pearson plc reported a net income of 169.95M and revenue of 1.84B, resulting in a net margin of 9.2%.

WLY - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, John Wiley & Sons reported a net income of 29.68M and revenue of 410.04M, resulting in a net margin of 7.2%.