WH Smith (LON:SMWH) Sets New 1-Year Low – What’s Next?

Shares of WH Smith PLC (LON:SMWH) reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as GBX 497.20 and last traded at GBX 498.40, with a volume of 1766711 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at GBX 516.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have issued reports on SMWH shares. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price target on shares of WH Smith from GBX 675 to GBX 650 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Berenberg Bank lowered 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. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group decreased their price target on shares of WH Smith from GBX 762 to GBX 680 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of GBX 720.50.

WH Smith Stock Performance

The company’s 50 day simple moving average is GBX 592.39 and its 200 day simple moving average is GBX 636.82. The stock has a market cap of £621.48 million, a PE ratio of -5.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 846.40, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a current ratio of 0.33.

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

Insider Activity at WH Smith

In other news, insider Leo Quinn acquired 17,764 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 24th. The stock was bought at an average price of GBX 560 per share, with a total value of £99,478.40. Company 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.