Berenberg Bank Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for WH Smith (LON:SMWH) Stock

WH Smith (LON:SMWH) had its price target lifted by research analysts at Berenberg Bank from GBX 420 to GBX 440 in a note issued to investors on Thursday, Digital Look reports. The firm currently has a “hold” rating on the stock. Berenberg Bank’s price target would indicate a potential upside of 16.40% from the company’s current price.

A number of other brokerages also recently issued reports on SMWH. Canaccord Genuity Group lowered their price objective on WH Smith from GBX 680 to GBX 555 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a GBX 600 target price on shares of WH Smith in a report on Friday, June 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price target on shares of WH Smith from GBX 550 to GBX 390 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, June 11th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of WH Smith from GBX 700 to GBX 575 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, June 17th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of GBX 566.43.

WH Smith Stock Down 1.3%

Shares of LON SMWH opened at GBX 378 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of £568.89 million, a PE ratio of -3.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.93. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of GBX 411.13 and a 200 day simple moving average of GBX 478.25. 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 has a 1 year low of GBX 345.60 and a 1 year high of GBX 712.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Helen Rose acquired 11,102 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 10th. The shares were bought at an average price of GBX 450 per share, with a total value of £49,959. Also, insider Simon Emeny bought 5,000 shares of WH Smith stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 26th. The stock was purchased at an average price of GBX 398 per share, with a total value of £19,900. Company insiders own 1.05% 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.