WH Smith PLC (LON:SMWH) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts have a consensus "Moderate Buy" on WH Smith (3 buys, 3 holds) with an average 12‑month price target of GBX 720.50.
• Several brokers have recently trimmed targets — e.g., RBC to GBX 650 (sector perform), Canaccord to GBX 680 (buy) and Berenberg to GBX 667 (hold) — signaling downgraded expectations.
• Insider Leo Quinn bought 17,764 shares at GBX 560, but the company reported quarterly EPS of GBX (20), negative margins and ROE, and a very high debt‑to‑equity ratio (846.40) while the stock trades near GBX 507 (52‑week high GBX 1,132).

Shares of WH Smith PLC (LON:SMWH - Get Free Report) have received a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the six ratings firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is GBX 720.50.

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price target on WH Smith from GBX 675 to GBX 650 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Canaccord Genuity Group dropped their price objective on 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, Berenberg Bank cut their price objective on WH Smith from GBX 700 to GBX 667 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 19th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other WH Smith news, insider Leo Quinn purchased 17,764 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, April 24th. The stock was bought at an average cost 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 Stock Performance

SMWH stock opened at GBX 507.14 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of GBX 592.39 and a 200 day simple moving average of GBX 636.91. The company has a market capitalization of £632.37 million, a P/E ratio of -4.47, a PEG ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a quick ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 846.40. WH Smith has a fifty-two week low of GBX 499.60 and a fifty-two week high of GBX 1,132.

WH Smith (LON:SMWH - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The company reported GBX (20) EPS for the quarter. WH Smith had a negative net margin of 9.48% and a negative return on equity of 90.46%. The company had revenue of £748 million for the quarter. Sell-side analysts predict 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.

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