WLY vs. PSO
WLY (John Wiley & Sons) and PSO (Pearson plc) are both stocks. Both operate in the Publishing industry within the Communication Services sector. Over the past 3 years, WLY returned 17.46%/yr vs 16.26%/yr for PSO. At a 0.29 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.
Performance
WLY vs. PSO - Performance Comparison
Loading charts...
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, WLY achieves a 50.13% return, which is significantly higher than PSO's 9.72% return.
WLY
- 1D
- 2.89%
- 1M
- 7.15%
- YTD
- 50.13%
- 6M
- 48.57%
- 1Y
- 9.25%
- 3Y*
- 17.46%
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
PSO
- 1D
- 0.46%
- 1M
- -0.46%
- YTD
- 9.72%
- 6M
- 8.71%
- 1Y
- 7.12%
- 3Y*
- 16.26%
- 5Y*
- 7.73%
- 10Y*
- 5.60%
WLY vs. PSO - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
WLY John Wiley & Sons | 50.13% | -27.22% | 42.19% | -17.53% | -22.85% |
PSO Pearson plc | 9.72% | -11.20% | 34.16% | 12.00% | 13.88% |
Correlation
The correlation between WLY and PSO is 0.30, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.30 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.27 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Apr 1, 2022 | 0.29 |
Fundamentals
WLY:
$2.43B
PSO:
$9.85B
WLY:
$4.15
PSO:
£1.16
WLY:
10.97
PSO:
9.88
WLY:
0.09
PSO:
0.39
WLY:
1.45
PSO:
1.07
WLY:
0.94
PSO:
2.05
WLY:
$1.68B
PSO:
£7.12B
WLY:
$1.25B
PSO:
£3.66B
WLY:
$258.93M
PSO:
£2.01B
Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs
Search for stocks, ETFs, and funds for a quick comparison or use the comparison tool for more options.
Return for Risk
WLY vs. PSO — Risk / Return Rank
WLY
PSO
WLY vs. PSO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for John Wiley & Sons (WLY) and Pearson plc (PSO). 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.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| WLY | PSO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.03 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.10 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.08 | 1.08 | 0.00 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.27 | 0.36 | -0.09 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 0.51 | 0.82 | -0.31 |
Loading charts...
Drawdowns
WLY vs. PSO - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum WLY drawdown since its inception was -43.95%, smaller than the maximum PSO drawdown of -74.78%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for WLY and PSO.
Loading charts...
Drawdown Indicators
| WLY | PSO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -43.95% | -74.78% | +30.83% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -34.42% | -19.64% | -14.78% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -43.27% | -30.73% | -12.54% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | — | -35.60% | — |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -58.32% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -9.39% | -11.51% | +2.12% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -22.67% | -36.51% | +13.84% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 18.26% | 8.67% | +9.59% |
Volatility
WLY vs. PSO - Volatility Comparison
John Wiley & Sons (WLY) has a higher volatility of 9.65% compared to Pearson plc (PSO) at 5.42%. This indicates that WLY's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than PSO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
Loading charts...
Volatility by Period
| WLY | PSO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 9.65% | 5.42% | +4.23% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 24.41% | 19.06% | +5.35% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 34.05% | 23.27% | +10.78% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 34.52% | 28.42% | +6.10% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 34.52% | 31.95% | +2.57% |
Dividends
WLY vs. PSO - Dividend Comparison
WLY's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.12%, more than PSO's 2.14% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PSO Pearson plc | 2.14% | 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 | 3.12% | 4.63% | 3.22% | 4.40% | 3.46% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Financials
WLY vs. PSO - Financials Comparison
This section allows you to compare key financial metrics between John Wiley & Sons and Pearson plc. You can select fields from income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements to easily visualize and compare the financial health of both companies.
Total Revenue: Total amount of money received from sales and other business activities
WLY vs. PSO - Profitability Comparison
WLY - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, John Wiley & Sons reported a gross profit of 377.66M and revenue of 447.94M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 84.3%.
PSO - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 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 - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, John Wiley & Sons reported an operating income of 94.02M and revenue of 447.94M, resulting in an operating margin of 21.0%.
PSO - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Pearson plc reported an operating income of 273.30M and revenue of 1.84B, resulting in an operating margin of 14.8%.
WLY - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, John Wiley & Sons reported a net income of 135.35M and revenue of 447.94M, resulting in a net margin of 30.2%.
PSO - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Pearson plc reported a net income of 169.95M and revenue of 1.84B, resulting in a net margin of 9.2%.
Frequently Asked Questions
WLY and PSO have a correlation of 0.30, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
WLY has higher volatility (9.65%) compared to PSO (5.42%). In terms of maximum drawdown, WLY dropped -43.95% vs PSO's -74.78%.
PSO currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.31 vs 0.27), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
Find the right allocation for WLY and PSO
Add both to a portfolio and optimize allocations for your target — whether that's maximizing returns, minimizing drawdowns, or balancing risk across holdings.
Open Portfolio Optimizer