WH Smith /£SMWH
WH Smith rises after Peel Hunt upgrades rating to Buy and raises price target to 800p.
13 hours agoLightyear AI
07:00
09:10
11:15
13:25
15:30
1D1W1MYTD1Y5YMAX
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
Primary listing
LSE
Employees
14,451
Headquarters
Website
WH Smith Metrics
BasicAdvanced
£841M
139.69
£0.05
1.34
£0.34
5.08%
Price and volume
Market cap
£841M
Beta
1.34
52-week high
£13.95
52-week low
£6.24
Average daily volume
722K
Dividend rate
£0.34
Financial strength
Current ratio
0.739
Quick ratio
0.336
Long term debt to equity
209.474
Total debt to equity
287.895
Dividend payout ratio (TTM)
614.29%
Interest coverage (TTM)
4.04%
Profitability
EBITDA (TTM)
269
Gross margin (TTM)
63.82%
Net profit margin (TTM)
0.36%
Operating margin (TTM)
11.01%
Effective tax rate (TTM)
52.78%
Revenue per employee (TTM)
£130,000
Management effectiveness
Return on assets (TTM)
7.75%
Return on equity (TTM)
4.78%
Valuation
Price to earnings (TTM)
139.695
Price to revenue (TTM)
0.441
Price to book
2.5
Price to tangible book (TTM)
-6.08
Price to free cash flow (TTM)
4.709
Free cash flow yield (TTM)
21.23%
Free cash flow per share (TTM)
1.416
Dividend yield (TTM)
5.08%
Growth
Revenue change (TTM)
4.46%
Earnings per share change (TTM)
-90.21%
3-year revenue growth (CAGR)
21.85%
10-year revenue growth (CAGR)
5.30%
3-year earnings per share growth (CAGR)
-43.67%
10-year earnings per share growth (CAGR)
-24.59%
10-year dividend per share growth (CAGR)
-0.68%
What the Analysts think about WH Smith
Analyst ratings (Buy, Hold, Sell) for WH Smith stock.
Bulls say / Bears say
The travel business performed in line with market expectations, boosted by a seasonal surge in summer travel demand, supporting a steady showing as WH Smith finalises its exit from the underperforming high street segment (Reuters).
Selling the UK high street business completes WH Smith’s transition to a focused global travel retail company, simplifying operations and concentrating on its fastest-growing area, with more than 1,200 stores across 32 countries (Reuters).
Expanding in North America, which accounted for about 20% of group revenue in fiscal 2024, demonstrates successful diversification and solid growth in major transport hubs outside the UK (Reuters).
An accounting error in the North America division inflated profit by about £30 million, leading WH Smith to lower its profit outlook from nearly £156.9 million to £110 million. This triggered a share price drop of over 30%, highlighting serious weaknesses in financial controls (Reuters).
The revised sale terms for the UK high street business, disclosed on June 30, 2025, reduced expected gross proceeds from £52 million to £40 million. This leaves less cash for debt repayment and pushes net debt up to £425 million, putting more pressure on the balance sheet (Reuters).
J.P. Morgan analysts warned that lower sale proceeds and a sharp rise in short-term debt will stall efforts to reduce leverage, likely holding down shares and weighing on investor sentiment (Reuters).
Data summarised monthly by Lightyear AI. Last updated on 4 Oct 2025.
WH Smith Financial Performance
Revenues and expenses
WH Smith Earnings Performance
Company profitability
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 CBOE Europe and Deutsche Börse.
Capital at risk
Upcoming events
No upcoming events
FAQs
What’s the current market cap for WH Smith stock?
WH Smith (SMWH) has a market cap of £841M as of October 25, 2025.
What is the P/E ratio for WH Smith stock?
The price to earnings (P/E) ratio for WH Smith (SMWH) stock is 139.69 as of October 25, 2025.
Does WH Smith stock pay dividends?
Yes, the WH Smith (SMWH) stock pays dividends to shareholders. As of October 25, 2025, the dividend rate is £0.339 and the yield is 5.08%. WH Smith has a payout ratio of 614.29% on a trailing twelve-month basis.
When is the next WH Smith dividend payment date?
The next WH Smith (SMWH) dividend payment date is unconfirmed.
What is the beta indicator for WH Smith ?
WH Smith (SMWH) has a beta rating of 1.34. This means that it is more volatile than the market, on average. A beta of 1 would indicate the stock moves in-line with the market, while a beta of 2 would indicate the stock moves twice as much as the market.