WH Smith (LON:SMWH) Trading Down 6.3% – Here’s Why

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

SMWH has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Canaccord Genuity Group lowered 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. Berenberg Bank lowered 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. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lowered 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. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of GBX 720.50.

WH Smith Trading Down 1.5%

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 company has a market cap 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. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of GBX 595.75 and a 200 day simple moving average of GBX 637.82.

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

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Leo Quinn purchased 17,764 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 24th. The shares were acquired at an average price of GBX 560 per share, with a total value of £99,478.40. 1.03% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.