Brokerages Set WH Smith PLC (LON:SMWH) Target Price at GBX 868.60

WH Smith PLC (LON:SMWH) has been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the five research firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and three have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is GBX 868.60.

Several brokerages have recently commented on SMWH. Berenberg Bank reduced their target price on WH Smith from GBX 700 to GBX 667 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 19th. Peel Hunt reissued a “buy” rating and issued a GBX 800 price objective on shares of WH Smith in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on WH Smith from GBX 750 to GBX 800 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd.

WH Smith Trading Down 0.7%

Shares of WH Smith stock opened at GBX 678.27 on Wednesday. WH Smith has a 12-month low of GBX 585.50 and a 12-month high of GBX 1,315. The stock has a market capitalization of £845.77 million, a P/E ratio of -5.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 1.67. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of GBX 653.11 and a 200 day simple moving average of GBX 751.17. The company has a quick ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 253.13.

WH Smith (LON:SMWH) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, December 19th. The company reported GBX (14.20) earnings per share for the quarter. WH Smith had a return on equity of 17.78% and a net margin of 3.44%. Research analysts expect that WH Smith will post 100.9372747 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Helen Rose purchased 7,972 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 8th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of GBX 627 per share, with a total value of £49,984.44. Also, insider Max Izzard sold 1,704 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 637, for a total transaction of £10,854.48. Company insiders own 1.01% of the company’s stock.

About WH Smith

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.