WH Smith (LON:SMWH) Insider Simon Emeny Acquires 2,439 Shares

WH Smith PLC (LON:SMWH) insider Simon Emeny acquired 2,439 shares of WH Smith stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were purchased at an average price of GBX 410 per share, for a total transaction of £9,999.90.

WH Smith Trading Down 16.0%

Shares of SMWH stock traded down GBX 78.60 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting GBX 412.60. 44,657,633 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,894,101. The stock has a market cap of £514.49 million, a PE ratio of -4.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.92. 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 PLC has a 12 month low of GBX 394.20 and a 12 month high of GBX 1,132. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is GBX 539.98 and its 200 day simple moving average is GBX 607.12.

WH Smith (LON:SMWH) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The company reported GBX (20) EPS for the quarter. The firm had revenue of £748 million during the quarter. WH Smith had a negative net margin of 9.48% and a negative return on equity of 90.46%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that WH Smith PLC will post 100.9372747 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have commented on SMWH shares. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and set a GBX 600 price target on shares of WH Smith in a research note on Friday, June 5th. Canaccord Genuity Group decreased their target price on shares of WH Smith from GBX 762 to GBX 680 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price target on shares of 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 four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of GBX 703.29.

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.