WH Smith PLC (LON:SMWH) Receives Average Recommendation of “Hold” from Brokerages

Shares of WH Smith PLC (LON:SMWH) have received a consensus rating of “Hold” from the seven brokerages that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is GBX 587.86.

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target 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. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price target on shares of WH Smith from GBX 550 to GBX 390 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a GBX 600 price target on shares of WH Smith in a research note on Friday, June 5th. Canaccord Genuity Group decreased their price target on shares of WH Smith from GBX 762 to GBX 680 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Finally, 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 on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 13th.

Insider Activity at WH Smith

In other news, insider Helen Rose purchased 12,195 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were bought at an average cost of GBX 410 per share, with a total value of £49,999.50. Also, insider Situl Jobanputra purchased 3,658 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of GBX 410 per share, for a total transaction of £14,997.80. Insiders acquired 438,494 shares of company stock worth $182,447,140 over the last three months. Company insiders own 1.05% of the company’s stock.

WH Smith Price Performance

Shares of LON SMWH opened at GBX 400.39 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of £499.27 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.14, a PEG ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.92. WH Smith has a 52 week low of GBX 394.20 and a 52 week high of GBX 1,132. The company’s 50-day moving average price is GBX 514.19 and its 200 day moving average price is GBX 593.84. The company has a current ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 846.40.

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

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.