WH Smith (LON:SMWH) Reaches New 12-Month Low – Should You Sell?

WH Smith PLC (LON:SMWH) hit a new 52-week low on Friday . The company traded as low as GBX 585 and last traded at GBX 588.78, with a volume of 133641 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 603.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently commented on SMWH shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of WH Smith from GBX 750 to GBX 800 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. Peel Hunt reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a GBX 800 price objective on shares of WH Smith in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Finally, Berenberg Bank lowered their target price on WH Smith from GBX 700 to GBX 667 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 19th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of GBX 868.60.

WH Smith Stock Performance

The stock’s 50 day moving average is GBX 659.61 and its two-hundred day moving average is GBX 672.77. The firm has a market capitalization of £743.18 million, a P/E ratio of -5.26, a P/E/G ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 872.78, a current ratio of 0.39 and a quick ratio of 0.42.

WH Smith (LON:SMWH) last issued its earnings results on Friday, December 19th. The company reported GBX (14.20) EPS for the quarter. WH Smith had a negative net margin of 9.27% and a negative return on equity of 62.07%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that WH Smith PLC will post 100.9372747 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Helen Rose purchased 7,972 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 8th. The stock was bought at an average price of GBX 627 per share, with a total value of £49,984.44. Also, insider Max Izzard acquired 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 29th. The stock was purchased at an average price of GBX 675 per share, with a total value of £168,750. Insiders have bought a total of 32,992 shares of company stock valued at $21,886,244 over the last 90 days. Corporate 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.