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Hoboken-headquartered publishing giant Wiley has bought UK-based Emerald Publishing Ltd. in an all-cash deal valued at $452 million.

According to Wiley, the deal with Emerald parent company Cambridge Information Group will expand its journal portfolio to 2,500 titles.

The move will also strengthen its position across multiple areas. In a June 2 press release, Wiley cited economics, business, finance, accounting, management, strategy, education, engineering, information and knowledge management, operations, public policy and environmental management.

Additionally, Wiley said the acquisition will deepen its “proprietary content position for use in AI and data analytics, at a moment when demand for peer-reviewed research content is accelerating rapidly as corporations build out AI models and applications.”

Emerald was founded in 1967. The highly regarded scholarly publisher boasts nearly 500 journal brands, 8,000 book titles and an extensive archive of case studies and backfile content.

Wiley President and CEO Matthew Kissner said, “Emerald represents an outstanding strategic fit for Wiley – a complementary portfolio, a compatible culture, and decades of specialized content that will meaningfully expand our scale and portfolio depth in both research publishing and research intelligence.”

“This transaction reflects our conviction that research and AI are mutually reinforcing: our proprietary content and data fuels AI, and AI accelerates the pace of publishing. Emerald materially strengthens both — expanding our peer-reviewed content base and adding a high-margin, recurring revenue stream that we expect to drive meaningful shareholder value.”

Growing knowledge

In its fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2026, Wiley expects Emerald to generate more than $85 million of revenue with mid-single-digit revenue growth, 92% recurring subscription revenue and 85% of revenue generated outside North America.

Wiley also anticipates approximately $30 million of cost savings within three years.

Emerald CEO Vicky Williams described Wiley as the “ideal home” for her company.

“For almost 60 years, we have been dedicated to publishing the highest-quality peer-reviewed research that bridges the gap between academic discovery and practical application, as well as developing an internal and external-facing culture that promotes inclusion and belonging,” she said. “Joining Wiley gives us the best-in-class platform, an extended global footprint, and further reach into academic and corporate markets to drive real-world impact, which aligns with our founding mission.

“We are excited to join Wiley and build on their exceptional foundation for growth, innovation, and integrity.”

Cambridge Information Group CEO Andy Snyder said he believes Wiley is “the ideal partner for Emerald’s next chapter …”