WH Smith (LON:SMWH) Trading Down 6.3% - Here's Why

WH Smith PLC (LON:SMWH - Get Free Report) fell 6.3% during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as GBX 509.50 and last traded at GBX 510. 666,179 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 87% from the average session volume of 5,011,916 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 544.50.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have commented on SMWH. Canaccord Genuity Group dropped their price target on WH Smith from GBX 762 to GBX 680 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price target on WH Smith from GBX 675 to GBX 650 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Finally, Berenberg Bank dropped their price target on WH Smith from GBX 700 to GBX 667 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 19th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of GBX 720.50.

WH Smith Stock Down 1.5%

The business has a 50 day moving average of GBX 595.75 and a 200 day moving average of GBX 637.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 846.40, a current ratio of 0.33 and a quick ratio of 0.42. The firm has a market capitalization of £626.27 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 1.00.

WH Smith (LON:SMWH - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The company reported GBX (20) EPS for the quarter. The firm 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%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that WH Smith PLC will post 100.9372747 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at WH Smith

In other news, insider Leo Quinn bought 17,764 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 24th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of GBX 560 per share, for a total transaction of £99,478.40. Insiders own 1.03% of the company's stock.

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.

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