WH Smith /£SMWH
1D1W1MYTD1Y5YMAX
Capital at risk
About WH Smith
WH Smith PLC, known by its ticker SMWH, is a prominent UK-based retailer specializing in books, stationery, newspapers, and magazines. Founded in 1792, the company operates in two primary business segments, Travel and High Street, providing products and services across a range of retail locations globally, including airports, train stations, hospitals, and high streets. WH Smith is recognized for its extensive network of stores, making it a staple in the UK's retail landscape and expanding its presence internationally to cater to travelers and locals alike.
- Ticker
- £SMWH
- Sector
- Consumer Discretionary
- Primary listing
- LSE
- Employees
- 9,290
- Headquarters
- Swindon, United Kingdom
- Website
- www.whsmithplc.co.uk
WH Smith Metrics
BasicAdvanced
£579M
-
-£0.97
0.92
£0.06
1.56%
Price and volume
Market cap
£579M
Beta
0.92
52-week high
£7.12
52-week low
£3.79
Average daily volume
487K
Dividend rate
£0.06
Financial strength
Current ratio
0.328
Quick ratio
0.166
Long term debt to equity
257.764
Total debt to equity
657.143
Interest coverage (TTM)
2.72%
Profitability
EBITDA (TTM)
181
Gross margin (TTM)
56.78%
Net profit margin (TTM)
-7.70%
Operating margin (TTM)
8.58%
Effective tax rate (TTM)
-110.53%
Revenue per employee (TTM)
£170,000
Management effectiveness
Return on assets (TTM)
5.31%
Return on equity (TTM)
-14.79%
Valuation
Price to revenue (TTM)
0.304
Price to book
3.84
Price to tangible book (TTM)
-1.5
Price to free cash flow (TTM)
5.479
Free cash flow yield (TTM)
18.25%
Free cash flow per share (TTM)
0.701
Dividend yield (TTM)
1.56%
Growth
Revenue change (TTM)
25.49%
Earnings per share change (TTM)
931.35%
3-year revenue growth (CAGR)
-1.35%
10-year revenue growth (CAGR)
2.82%
3-year earnings per share growth (CAGR)
24.50%
10-year earnings per share growth (CAGR)
0.56%
3-year dividend per share growth (CAGR)
-29.61%
10-year dividend per share growth (CAGR)
-17.42%
What the Analysts think about WH Smith
Analyst ratings (Buy, Hold, Sell) for WH Smith stock.
Analyst projections of the future price of WH Smith stock.
Bulls say / Bears say
The Travel Essentials business in North America delivered a 22% increase in total revenue and a 6% rise in like-for-like revenue in the 26 weeks to 28 February 2026, driven by new store openings and passenger spend growth (Investegate RNS).
Group first-half revenue rose 5% year-on-year to £748 million, underpinned by double-digit 10% growth in North America sales, reflecting strong airport performance (Reuters).
WH Smith opened new flagship stores at Heathrow Terminals 3, 4 and 5 during H1 2026, enhancing its global travel retail footprint and elevating store standards (Investegate RNS).
The company posted a net loss of £23 million for the six months ended 28 February 2026 despite revenue growth, highlighting persistent profitability challenges (Reuters via Sahmcapital).
WH Smith cut its full-year profit forecast for the second time this year and raised approximately £106 million in new equity as Middle East travel disruptions weighed on its airport and rail operations (Reuters).
Like-for-like revenue in the Travel Essentials business declined by 1% over the seven weeks to 6 June 2026, signalling recent softening in consumer travel spend (LSE RNS).
Data summarised monthly by Lightyear AI. Last updated on 7 Sept 2026.
WH Smith Financial Performance
Revenues and expenses
WH Smith Earnings Performance
Company profitability
Upcoming events
No upcoming events
Funds containing WH Smith
AllGBPEURUSD
Fund name | Fund size | £SMWH weighting |
|---|---|---|
Vanguard FTSE 250£VMID | £1.6B | 0.17% |
iShares FTSE 250£MIDD | £663M | 0.15% |
Xtrackers MSCI Europe Small Cap€DX2J | €3.2B | 0.05% |
Xtrackers MSCI Europe Small Cap£XXSC | £2.8B | 0.05% |
iShares MSCI World Small Cap$WSML | $9B | 0.01% |
Latest price is delayed by 15 minutes. Data displayed above is indicative only and its accuracy or completeness is not guaranteed. Actual execution price may vary. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Your return may be affected by currency fluctuations and applicable fees and charges. Capital at risk.
Market data provided by London Stock Exchange, through Infront.