WH Smith (LON:SMWH) Hits New 1-Year Low – Here’s What Happened

WH Smith PLC (LON:SMWH)’s share price reached a new 52-week low during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as GBX 512 and last traded at GBX 512.50, with a volume of 437829 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 544.50.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Berenberg Bank decreased their target price on WH Smith from GBX 700 to GBX 667 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 19th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on WH Smith from GBX 675 to GBX 650 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 13th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group decreased their target price on WH Smith from GBX 762 to GBX 680 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 24th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of GBX 720.50.

WH Smith Price Performance

The stock has a market cap of £643.43 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.55, a P/E/G ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 1.00. The stock has a fifty day moving average of GBX 592.39 and a 200 day moving average of GBX 636.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 846.40, a current ratio of 0.33 and a quick ratio of 0.42.

WH Smith (LON:SMWH) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The company reported GBX (20) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. WH Smith had a negative net margin of 9.48% and a negative return on equity of 90.46%. The company had revenue of £748 million during the quarter. On average, analysts expect that WH Smith PLC will post 100.9372747 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at WH Smith

In related news, insider Leo Quinn purchased 17,764 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, April 24th. The stock was bought at an average cost of GBX 560 per share, with a total value of £99,478.40. Insiders own 1.03% of the company’s stock.

WH Smith Company Profile

WH Smith PLC operates as a retailer in the United Kingdom and internationally. It operates in two segments, Travel and High Street. The Travel segment offers news, books, and convenience for travelling customers. It operates stores in airports, hospitals, railway stations, and motorway service areas. The High Street segment sells stationery products, including greeting cards, general stationery, art and craft, and gifting products; news and impulse products, such as newspapers, magazines, confectionery, and drinks; and books.