Fact based stock research
WH Smith (LSE:SMWH)

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How to read the free ranks

For every stock, we judge its performance against its peers and rank it on a scale of 1 to 100. The higher the rank, the better the stock performs than its peers. And, we do this for six investment strategies:
Value - shows how good of a value the stock is. Green is "inexpensive"; red is "expensive".

Growth - shows a company's growth potential. Green is "high growth" expected; red is "tough times ahead".

Safety - relates to the amount of debt a company has. Green is low debt level; red is high debt level.

Combined Financial - this isn't an average of the first three ranks but rather a consolidated view across several financial indicators. Green = good; red = tread carefully.

(NEW) Sentiment - quantifies professional analyst ratings and holdings as well as market pulse. Green = positive sentiment; red = skepticism (Only available to Premium Subscribers).

(NEW) 360° View - the ultimate rating with all financial and non-financial indicators.

WH Smith stock research in summary

whsmithplc.co.uk

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 4 (worse than 96% compared with investment alternatives), WH Smith (Specialty Stores, United Kingdom) shares have lower financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of WH Smith are low in value (priced high) with a consolidated Value Rank of 43 (worse than 57% of alternatives), show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 5), and are riskily financed (Safety Rank of 22), which means above-average debt burdens. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 4, is a sell recommendation based on WH Smith's financial characteristics. As the company WH Smith's key financial metrics all exhibit below-average performance, such as low value (Obermatt Value Rank of 43), low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 5), and risky financing practices (Obermatt Safety Rank of 22), it is a somewhat questionable stock investment, where the risk of paying too much for the shares is significant, unless the company has an exceptionally bright future. Such poor financial performance sometimes indicates that the company's business is all concentrated in some distant future. This is sometimes the case for high-tech or biotechnology companies. If they own properties that only provide cash flows in the future, the stock may look excessively expensive and risky today. In such cases, the Obermatt Method has limited value as it is based on facts we can observe today. If the facts are all in the future, stock investing becomes guesswork, and this should only be a driver in a limited number of investments that should only amount to a small fraction of a safe portfolio. Obermatt Premium subscribers can further check the stock’s Sentiment Ranks, which also flow into the Obermatt 360° View for investors. ...read more

Latest Obermatt Ranks


360° View^new
Sentiment Rank^new
Value Rank	43
Growth Rank	5
Safety Rank	22
Combined Rank	4

Country	United Kingdom
Industry	Specialty Stores
Index	FTSE All Shares, FTSE 250, FTSE 350, Human Rights, Renewables Users, SDG 10, SDG 12, SDG 13, SDG 4, SDG 8
Size class	Medium

31-Jul-2025. Stock data may be delayed. Log in or sign up to get the most recent research.

Further information

Multiple opinions. One number.

Analysts rarely agree on a stock’s future. So, who do you believe? Obermatt translates those collective views into a single Sentiment Rank. That plus the financial ranks give you the ultimate 360° View. Sign up to access them.

Why popular stocks have low ratings

It’s easier said than done. When your stock drops, it’s easy to want to sell it and find a better performer. Think twice, or even three times, before trading. Those fees (especially the hidden ones) can eat up your gains.

Review the performance ranks of the individual metrics that form each investment strategy.

Research History: WH Smith

RESEARCH HISTORY	2022	2023	2024	2025
VALUE
VALUE	25	28	50	43
GROWTH
GROWTH	57	45	47	5
SAFETY
SAFETY	6	23	10	22
SENTIMENT
SENTIMENT	81	90	70	^new
360° VIEW
360° VIEW	33	39	34	^new

Most recent update of the stock research: 31-Jul-2025. Financial reporting date used for calculating ranks: 28-Feb-2025. Stock research history is based on the Obermatt Method. The higher the rank, the better WH Smith is in the corresponding investment strategy.
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Combined financial peformance in Detail

RESEARCH HISTORY	2022	2023	2024	2025
VALUE
VALUE	25	28	50	43
GROWTH
GROWTH	57	45	47	5
SAFETY
SAFETY	6	23	10	22
COMBINED
COMBINED	12	8	15	4

Last update of combined financial performance: 31-Jul-2025. Stock analysis on combined financial performance: The higher the rank of WH Smith the better the performance.

Value Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 43 (worse than 57% compared with alternatives), WH Smith shares are more expensive than the average comparable stock. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with three out of four indicators below average for WH Smith. Only the metric dividend yield has an above-average rank, reflecting that dividend practices are expected to be higher than 72% of comparable companies, making the stock an attractive buy for dividend investors. However, dividend investors may get disappointed because all other critical financial indicators are below the market median: Price-to-Sales is 23 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profits is higher than 77% of comparable companies, indicating a low value concerning WH Smith's sales levels. The same is valid for Price-to-Profit (also referred to as price-earnings, P/E) with a rank of 49 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profit levels is higher than 51% of comparable companies. In addition, Price-to-Book (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) with a Price-to-Book Rank of 29 is also low. Compared with invested capital, the stock price is higher than for 71% of comparable investments. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 43, is a hold recommendation based on WH Smith's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. Should dividend investors pick WH Smith? The company-reported financials speak against it. The company is expensive compared with revenue and invested capital levels, two reliable company size indicators. In addition, it currently has a low level of profits. How can future dividends be paid in the case that profits remain low? Dividend investors should choose WH Smith only if they reasonably expect the low current profit levels to be transitory. We recommend further analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks, including the 360° View, before making an investment decision, which is essential in this case, as the financial indicators are inconclusive. ...read more

VALUE METRICS	2022	2023	2024	2025
PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S)
PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S)	24	23	20	23
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)	19	31	55	49
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)	16	19	30	29
DIVIDEND YIELD
DIVIDEND YIELD	62	70	68	72
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE	25	28	50	43

Last update of Value Rank: 31-Jul-2025. Stock analysis on value ratios: The higher the rank, the lower the value ratio of WH Smith; except for dividend yield where the rank is higher, the higher the yield.

Growth Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 5 (better than 5% compared with alternatives), WH Smith shows one of the most restricted growth dynamics in its industry. There is little momentum in this company. The Growth Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with all four metrics below average for WH Smith. Sales Growth has a rank of 6, which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow less than 94% of its competitors. The same is valid for Profit Growth, with a rank of 16, and Capital Growth with 15. In addition, Stock Returns have a below market rank of 33, which means that the stock returns have recently been below 67% of alternative investments. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 5, is a sell recommendation for growth and momentum investors. These are all bad growth momentum indicators. These are negative signals for investors interested in growth companies. Value is likely good for this company, as investors may have left this stock in the cold. If that is the case, investors should look at the company's outlook, especially Sentiment performance, because it may be a turnaround situation that could entail above-average stock returns in the future. But it remains a risky bet, as no growth signals are in the green zone yet. While momentum is a popular investment factor, the value aspect might be the more important one, in the longer term. We recommend analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks to arrive at a 360° View of the stock purchase case, especially since the growth performance is low here. ...read more

GROWTH METRICS	2022	2023	2024	2025
REVENUE GROWTH
REVENUE GROWTH	56	59	55	6
PROFIT GROWTH
PROFIT GROWTH	91	51	48	16
CAPITAL GROWTH
CAPITAL GROWTH	7	30	46	15
STOCK RETURNS
STOCK RETURNS	57	44	36	33
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH	57	45	47	5

Last update of Growth Rank: 31-Jul-2025. Stock analysis on growth metrics: The higher the rank, the higher the growth and returns of WH Smith.

Safety Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 22 (better than 22% compared with alternatives), the company WH Smith has much riskier financing practices than comparable other companies, which means that their overall debt burden is significantly above the industry average. This doesn't mean that the business of WH Smith is also risky, it only means that the company is on the riskier side in respect to bankruptcy in case things turn sour, assuming that public reporting is correct. The Safety Rank is based on consolidating three financing indicators, with just one indicator above average for WH Smith. Liquidity is at 67, meaning the company generates more profit to service its debt than 67% of its competitors. This indicates that the company is safer when it comes to debt service. But Refinancing is riskier at a rank of 23, which means that the portion of the debt that is about to be refinanced is above average. It has more debt in the refinancing stage than 77% of its competitors. Leverage is also high at a rank of 18, which means that the company has an above-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has more debt than 82% of its competitors. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 22 (worse than 78% compared with alternatives), WH Smith has a financing structure that is significantly riskier than that of its competitors. High Leverage (a low Obermatt Leverage Rank) is good in good times, because it usually indicates that shareholders get higher returns. The good Liquidity performance of the company is an indicator that this is the case. However, if you expect an economic downturn, you may stay clear of this stock because they have an above-average debt level that needs refinancing soon. If the company is sailing with good winds, as may be visible from the Growth and Sentiment performance, the refinancing risk may be lower than the low Refinancing rank suggests. ...read more

SAFETY METRICS	2022	2023	2024	2025
LEVERAGE
LEVERAGE	12	15	16	18
REFINANCING
REFINANCING	21	24	23	23
LIQUIDITY
LIQUIDITY	16	60	54	67
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY	6	23	10	22

Last update of Safety Rank: 31-Jul-2025. Stock analysis on safety metrics: The higher the rank, the lower the leverage of WH Smith and the more cash is available to service its debt.

Sentiment Metrics in Detail

SENTIMENT	2022	2023	2024	2025
ANALYST OPINIONS
ANALYST OPINIONS	n/a	80	55	^new
OPINIONS CHANGE
OPINIONS CHANGE	82	60	31	^new
PRO HOLDINGS
PRO HOLDINGS	16	86	74	^new
MARKET PULSE
MARKET PULSE	62	73	81	^new
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT	81	90	70	^new

Last update of Sentiment Rank: 31-Jul-2025. Stock analysis on sentiment metrics: The higher the rank, the more positive the sentiment for WH Smith.
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