WH Smith PLC (LON:SMWH) Stock Rated "Hold" by Wall Street Analysts

Key Points

• WH Smith has a consensus “Hold” rating from seven analysts: four recommend holding and three recommend buying. The average 12-month price target is GBX 566.43.
• Analyst views are mixed, with Deutsche Bank cutting its target to GBX 390 while JPMorgan, Berenberg, and Canaccord issued targets ranging from GBX 440 to GBX 550.
• The stock opened at GBX 371, near its 52-week low of GBX 345.60 and well below its 52-week high of GBX 712; the company also carries a high debt-to-equity ratio of 846.40.

WH Smith PLC (LON:SMWH - Get Free Report) has earned a consensus rating of "Hold" from the seven research firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and three have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is GBX 566.43.

A number of research firms have issued reports on SMWH. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their target price on WH Smith from GBX 550 to GBX 390 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, June 11th. UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a GBX 600 price objective on shares of WH Smith in a research report on Friday, June 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of WH Smith from GBX 575 to GBX 550 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, September 17th. Berenberg Bank boosted their target price on shares of WH Smith from GBX 420 to GBX 440 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, September 17th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group dropped their target price on shares of WH Smith from GBX 555 to GBX 535 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, September 16th.

WH Smith Price Performance

WH Smith stock opened at GBX 371 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of £558.36 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.84, a P/E/G ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.93. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of GBX 407.90 and a two-hundred day moving average price of GBX 469.42. WH Smith has a fifty-two week low of GBX 345.60 and a fifty-two week high of GBX 712. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 846.40, a current ratio of 0.33 and a quick ratio of 0.42.

Insider Transactions at WH Smith

In related news, insider Helen Rose acquired 11,102 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 10th. The shares were bought at an average price of GBX 450 per share, for a total transaction of £49,959. 1.05% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.

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