Berenberg Bank Issues Positive Forecast for WH Smith (LON:SMWH) Stock Price

WH Smith (LON:SMWH) had its target price boosted by equities research analysts at Berenberg Bank from GBX 420 to GBX 440 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday, Digital Look reports. The brokerage currently has a “hold” rating on the stock. Berenberg Bank’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 19.89% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other research analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. Canaccord Genuity Group decreased their target price on WH Smith from GBX 680 to GBX 555 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a GBX 600 price target on shares of WH Smith in a report on Friday, June 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price objective on shares of WH Smith from GBX 550 to GBX 390 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of WH Smith from GBX 700 to GBX 575 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, June 17th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of GBX 566.43.

WH Smith Stock Performance

Shares of LON SMWH opened at GBX 367 on Thursday. WH Smith has a 1 year low of GBX 345.60 and a 1 year high of GBX 712. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 846.40, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a current ratio of 0.33. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of GBX 411.93 and a two-hundred day moving average price of GBX 481.10. The firm has a market cap of £552.34 million, a P/E ratio of -3.80, a PEG ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.93.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Simon Emeny bought 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 26th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of GBX 398 per share, for a total transaction of £19,900. Also, insider Helen Rose bought 11,102 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 10th. The shares were bought at an average cost of GBX 450 per share, for a total transaction of £49,959. Insiders own 1.05% of the company’s stock.

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.