Form 4: Director Singh Adds Wiley Phantom Stock Units

John Wiley & Sons Director Inder M. Singh acquired 174 phantom stock units through a deferred compensation plan, increasing his beneficial ownership to 15,369 units.

Summary

• Inder M. Singh, a Director at John Wiley & Sons, Inc., acquired 174 Phantom Stock Units on January 15, 2026.
• This acquisition resulted from a quarterly dividend and was deferred under the John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Deferred Compensation Plan for Directors.
• Each Phantom Stock Unit is equivalent to one share of Class A Common stock.
• The price of the derivative security at the time of acquisition was $31.01 per unit.
• Following this transaction, Mr. Singh beneficially owns a total of 15,369 Phantom Stock Units.
• These units will settle in 100% John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Class A Common stock upon his separation of service from the Board.

Sentiment

Score: 7

Explanation: The filing indicates a director's increased beneficial ownership through a routine compensation mechanism, which is generally a positive signal of alignment with shareholder interests, though it's a small, non-discretionary transaction.

Positives

• Director Inder M. Singh increased his beneficial ownership in the company, which can signal confidence in the company's future prospects.
• The acquisition was part of a deferred compensation plan, indicating a long-term commitment by the director to the company's performance.
• The transaction was made pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1(c) plan, suggesting a pre-planned, non-discretionary acquisition, which reduces concerns about opportunistic insider trading.

Future Outlook

The filing does not contain specific forward-looking statements or guidance regarding the company's future performance, as it is a report on an insider transaction.

Industry Context

This Form 4 filing reports a routine insider transaction related to director compensation. It does not provide broader industry context or competitive analysis. Such transactions are common across publicly traded companies as part of executive and director compensation packages, often tied to long-term incentive plans.

Comparison to Industry Standards

• This filing reports a standard director compensation event (acquisition of phantom stock units via a deferred plan).
• It does not contain information that allows for a direct comparison to specific comparable companies, projects, or results in terms of operational or financial performance.
• The structure of deferred compensation plans for directors, including the use of phantom stock, is a common practice in many industries, including publishing and education technology, where companies like Pearson or McGraw Hill also utilize equity-based compensation to align director interests with shareholders.

Stakeholder Impact

• Shareholders: Increased alignment of a director's interests with shareholders due to higher beneficial ownership.
• Employees, Customers, Suppliers, Creditors: No direct impact from this specific insider transaction.

Next Steps

• The Phantom Stock Units will settle in Class A Common stock upon Inder M. Singh's separation of service from the Board.

Key Dates

Recommendation

This Form 4 reports a routine, non-discretionary acquisition of phantom stock units by a director as part of a deferred compensation plan. While an increase in insider ownership is generally a positive signal of confidence, this specific transaction is small in scale (174 units) and part of a pre-existing compensation structure, not a discretionary open-market purchase. Therefore, it does not provide new material information to warrant a change in investment recommendation, maintaining a 'hold' position based solely on this filing.

Keywords

John Wiley & Sons, WLY, WLYB, Inder M Singh, Director, Phantom Stock Units, Deferred Compensation, Insider Transaction, Form 4, Equity Compensation