Canaccord Genuity Group Issues Pessimistic Forecast for WH Smith (LON:SMWH) Stock Price

WH Smith (LON:SMWH) had its price objective lowered by equities researchers at Canaccord Genuity Group from GBX 555 to GBX 535 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, Digital Look reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the stock. Canaccord Genuity Group’s price target points to a potential upside of 45.78% from the company’s current price.

A number of other analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. Berenberg Bank raised their price objective on WH Smith from GBX 420 to GBX 440 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price target on shares of WH Smith from GBX 550 to GBX 390 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, June 11th. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and set a GBX 600 price target on shares of WH Smith in a research report on Friday, June 5th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of WH Smith from GBX 575 to GBX 550 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. 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.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of GBX 566.43.

WH Smith Stock Up 0.7%

WH Smith stock opened at GBX 367 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 846.40. The firm has a market cap of £552.34 million, a P/E ratio of -3.80, a P/E/G ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.93. The business has a fifty day moving average of GBX 411.93 and a two-hundred day moving average of GBX 481.10. WH Smith has a twelve month low of GBX 345.60 and a twelve month high of GBX 712.

Insider Activity at WH Smith

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