WH Smith (LON:SMWH) Sets New 12-Month Low – Should You Sell?

WH Smith PLC (LON:SMWH) shares hit a new 52-week low during trading on Friday . The company traded as low as GBX 549.50 and last traded at GBX 552.50, with a volume of 589555 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 561.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have issued reports on SMWH. Berenberg Bank cut their target price on shares of WH Smith from GBX 700 to GBX 667 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of WH Smith from GBX 750 to GBX 800 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Finally, Peel Hunt reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a GBX 800 price target on shares of WH Smith in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, WH Smith presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of GBX 868.60.

WH Smith Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 872.78, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a current ratio of 0.39. The company has a market cap of £688.94 million, a P/E ratio of -4.87, a P/E/G ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.96. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of GBX 653.02 and a 200-day moving average price of GBX 660.19.

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 negative net margin of 9.27% and a negative return on equity of 62.07%. On average, research analysts predict that WH Smith PLC will post 100.9372747 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at WH Smith

In other news, insider Helen Rose acquired 7,972 shares of WH Smith stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 8th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of GBX 627 per share, for a total transaction of £49,984.44. Also, insider Max Izzard acquired 25,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 29th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of GBX 675 per share, with a total value of £168,750. In the last quarter, insiders have acquired 32,992 shares of company stock worth $21,886,244. Corporate 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.