WH Smith (LON:SMWH) Reaches New 12-Month Low – Here’s What Happened

WH Smith PLC (LON:SMWH) shares hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as GBX 1,053 ($13.64) and last traded at GBX 1,062 ($13.76), with a volume of 69592 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at GBX 1,077 ($13.95).

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently issued reports on SMWH shares. Berenberg Bank reissued a “buy” rating and set a GBX 1,600 ($20.73) price target on shares of WH Smith in a research report on Friday, February 28th. Canaccord Genuity Group cut their target price on shares of WH Smith from GBX 1,469 ($19.03) to GBX 1,460 ($18.91) and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, November 21st.

WH Smith Price Performance

The stock’s 50 day moving average is GBX 1,183.01 and its two-hundred day moving average is GBX 1,265.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 253.13, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.42. The stock has a market capitalization of £1.35 billion, a PE ratio of 21.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 1.67.

WH Smith Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 6th. Investors of record on Thursday, January 16th were paid a dividend of GBX 22.60 ($0.29) per share. This represents a dividend yield of 1.74%. This is a positive change from WH Smith’s previous dividend of $11.00. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, January 16th. WH Smith’s dividend payout ratio is presently 66.01%.

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.