WH Smith PLC (LON:SMWH) Receives Average Rating of "Hold" from Brokerages

Key Points

• WH Smith has a consensus analyst rating of "Hold" from seven covering firms, with an average 12-month price target of GBX 570.
• Several brokers recently cut their price targets on the stock, including RBC, Berenberg, UBS, JPMorgan, and Canaccord Genuity, reflecting a more cautious outlook.
• Insiders have been buying shares: Helen Rose and Leo Quinn both purchased stock in June, while the shares were trading around GBX 400.18, well below the 52-week high.

WH Smith PLC (LON:SMWH - Get Free Report) has earned a consensus recommendation of "Hold" from the seven research firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is GBX 570.

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on SMWH shares. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price objective 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 cut their price target on shares of WH Smith from GBX 574 to GBX 420 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, June 16th. UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating and set a GBX 600 price target on shares of WH Smith in a research report on Friday, June 5th. 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 report on Wednesday, June 17th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group lowered their price objective on WH Smith from GBX 680 to GBX 555 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th.

Insider Buying and Selling at WH Smith

In other WH Smith news, insider Helen Rose purchased 12,195 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were purchased at an average price of GBX 410 per share, with a total value of £49,999.50. Also, insider Leo Quinn purchased 365,853 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were acquired at an average price of GBX 410 per share, with a total value of £1,499,997.30. Insiders bought 443,494 shares of company stock valued at $184,437,140 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.88% of the company's stock.

WH Smith Stock Down 1.5%

Shares of LON SMWH opened at GBX 400.18 on Wednesday. WH Smith has a 52 week low of GBX 378.60 and a 52 week high of GBX 1,120. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of GBX 451.60 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of GBX 561.94. The company has a quick ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 846.40. The company has a market cap of £602.28 million, a P/E ratio of -4.14, a P/E/G ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.92.

WH Smith (LON:SMWH - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The company reported GBX (20) earnings per share 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. Research analysts anticipate that WH Smith will post 100.9372747 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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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