WH Smith (LON:SMWH) Reaches New 1-Year Low – Time to Sell?

WH Smith PLC (LON:SMWH)’s share price reached a new 52-week low during trading on Monday . The stock traded as low as GBX 367.60 and last traded at GBX 370.80, with a volume of 53659 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at GBX 374.20.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on SMWH shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of WH Smith from GBX 700 to GBX 575 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, June 17th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price target on shares of WH Smith from GBX 550 to GBX 390 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, June 11th. Canaccord Genuity Group dropped their price target on shares of WH Smith from GBX 680 to GBX 555 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Berenberg Bank cut their price objective 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. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a GBX 600 price objective on shares of WH Smith in a research report on Friday, June 5th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of GBX 570.

WH Smith Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of £558.36 million, a PE ratio of -3.84, a PEG ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.93. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of GBX 414.65 and a 200 day moving average price of GBX 487.57. The company has a quick ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 846.40.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Helen Rose purchased 11,102 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 10th. The shares were purchased at an average price of GBX 450 per share, with a total value of £49,959. Also, insider Simon Emeny purchased 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 26th. The stock was bought at an average cost of GBX 398 per share, with a total value of £19,900. 1.05% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.