Smiths NewsCHIX:SNWSL +0.30%53 Current Ratio is 0.90 as of Feb. 2026, which is 10% above its 10-year median of 0.82. GuruFocus rates CHIX:SNWSL with a GF Score™ of 53/100 and a GF Value™ of £0.54 (Modestly Overvalued). The stock has 2 warning signs investors should review. Among 1,032 Media - Diversified companies, Smiths News ranks worse than 74.42% on this metric.
The current ratio is a liquidity ratio that measures a company's ability to pay short-term obligations. It is calculated as a company's Total Current Assets divides by its Total Current Liabilities. Smiths News's current ratio for the quarter that ended in Feb. 2026 was 0.90.
Smiths News has a current ratio of 0.90. It indicates that the company may have difficulty meeting its current obligations. Low values, however, do not indicate a critical problem. If Smiths News has good long-term prospects, it may be able to borrow against those prospects to meet current obligations.
The historical rank and industry rank for Smiths News's Current Ratio or its related term are showing as below:
CHIX:SNWSl'
s Current Ratio Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 0.58 Med: 0.82 Max: 0.99
Current: 0.9
During the past 13 years, Smiths News's highest Current Ratio was 0.99. The lowest was 0.58. And the median was 0.82.
CHIX:SNWSl's Current Ratio is ranked worse than 74.42% of 1032
companies
in the Media - Diversified industry
Industry Median: 1.57
vs CHIX:SNWSl: 0.90
Smiths News (CHIX:SNWSl) Current Ratio Explanation
The current ratio can give a sense of the efficiency of a company's operating cycle or its ability to turn its product into cash. Companies that have trouble getting paid on their receivables or have long inventory turnover can run into liquidity problems because they are unable to alleviate their obligations. Because business operations differ in each industry, it is always more useful to compare companies within the same industry.
Acceptable current ratios vary from industry to industry and are generally between 1 and 3 for healthy businesses.
The higher the current ratio, the more capable the company is of paying its obligations. A ratio under 1 suggests that the company would be unable to pay off its obligations if they came due at that point. While this shows the company is not in good financial health, it does not necessarily mean that it will go bankrupt - as there are many ways to access financing - but it is definitely not a good sign.
If all other things were equal, a creditor, who is expecting to be paid in the next 12 months, would consider a high current ratio to be better than a low current ratio, because a high current ratio means that the company is more likely to meet its liabilities which fall due in the next 12 months.
Smiths News Current Ratio Related Terms
Smiths News Current Ratio Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Smiths News's Current Ratio can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
For the Publishing subindustry, Smiths News's Current Ratio, along with its competitors' market caps and Current Ratio data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Smiths News Current Ratio vs Media - Diversified Industry
For the Media - Diversified industry and Communication Services sector, Smiths News's Current Ratio distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Smiths News's Current Ratio falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Smiths News (CHIX:SNWSL) has a Current Ratio of 0.90 as of Feb. 2026. This is 10% above median its historical median of 0.82. Over the past decade, Smiths News' Current Ratio has ranged from 0.58 to 0.99. According to the industry distribution chart, Smiths News ranks #768 out of 1032 companies in the Media - Diversified industry, placing it in the top 74.4%.
Is Smiths News' Current Ratio too high?
Smiths News' current Current Ratio of 0.90 is 10% above median its 10-year median of 0.82. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 0.58 to a high of 0.99. The Media - Diversified industry median Current Ratio is 1.57. Smiths News' value of 0.90 is 42.7% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Smiths News ranks #768 out of 1032 companies in the Media - Diversified industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, Smiths News has a GF Score™ of 53/100 and is considered Modestly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Smiths News' Current Ratio compare to NYT and WLY?
According to the Media - Diversified industry distribution chart, Smiths News ranks #768 out of 1032 companies for Current Ratio. This places Smiths News in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Current Ratio is 1.57. Smiths News' value of 0.90 is 42.7% below this benchmark. Historically, Smiths News' own Current Ratio has ranged from 0.58 to 0.99 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 0.82 vs. the industry median of 1.57, Smiths News has consistently been below the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Current Ratio for a Media - Diversified company?
The median Current Ratio among Media - Diversified companies is 1.57, based on 1,032 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Current Ratio significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Current Ratio should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Smiths News's current Current Ratio of 0.90 is 42.7% below the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Current Ratio mean?
A high Current Ratio can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. For the Media - Diversified industry, the median Current Ratio is 1.57 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Smiths News's current Current Ratio is 0.90, which is 10% above median its own 10-year median of 0.82. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Smiths News stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Smiths News (CHIX:SNWSL) is currently considered Modestly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is £0.54, compared to a current price of £0.67 — trading 24.8% above its estimated fair value. The current Current Ratio is 0.90, which is 10% above median its 10-year median of 0.82 and 42.7% below the Media - Diversified industry median of 1.57. Smiths News' overall GF Score™ is 53/100 with 2 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Current Ratio calculated?
Current Ratio is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Smiths News (CHIX:SNWSL), the current Current Ratio is 0.90 as of Feb. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Smiths News (CHIX:SNWSL) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Smiths News stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of £0.67 is trading 24.8% above its estimated GF Value™ of £0.54.
GuruFocus considers Smiths News to be Modestly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for CHIX:SNWSL:
Current Ratio: 0.90 (10% above median its 10-year median of 0.82)
GF Value™: £0.54 vs. price of £0.67 (24.8% above fair value)
Industry Position: 42.7% below the Media - Diversified median (#768 of 1032)
No single metric tells the full story. See the CHIX:SNWSL stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Smiths News PLC is a UK wholesaler of newspapers and magazines, providing nationwide early-morning distribution and logistics services. The company supplies newspapers, magazines, and related products to a wide network of retail outlets, supported by integrated services such as warehousing, pick-and-pack, returns collection, recycling, invoicing, and market insight. Operating through a hub-and-spoke distribution network across England and Wales, Smiths News delivers seven days a week, reaching locations from urban centres to remote rural communities, and also offers recycling and waste management solutions through its dedicated recycling operations.
53GF Score
Get the complete analysis for CHIX:SNWSL
Current Ratio is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
Quick Browse
Personalize
Premium Gurus 
Create New Portfolio
CHIX:SNWSL has been successfully added to your 
