Focused on building reliable datasets, financial models, and research tools for value-minded investors. Committed to turning complex data into practical guidance for value-investing and long-term wealth.
Dr. Charlie Tian is the founder and CEO of GuruFocus.com, a leading global investment research platform established in 2004. With a Ph.D. in physics, Dr. Tian transitioned from science to finance, applying a data-driven, disciplined approach to value investing.
WH SmithWHTPF -8.03%55 Debt-to-EBITDA is 7.67 as of Feb. 2026, which is 262% above its 10-year median of 2.12. GuruFocus rates WHTPF with a GF Score™ of 55/100 and a GF Value™ of $21.60. The stock has 5 warning signs investors should review. Among 898 Retail - Cyclical companies, WH Smith ranks worse than 84.08% on this metric.
Debt-to-EBITDA measures a company's ability to pay off its debt.
A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt. According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.
The historical rank and industry rank for WH Smith's Debt-to-EBITDA or its related term are showing as below:
WHTPF'
s Debt-to-EBITDA Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -10.1 Med: 2.12 Max: 21.07
Current: 6.37
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio of WH Smith was 21.07. The lowest was -10.10. And the median was 2.12.
WHTPF's Debt-to-EBITDA is ranked worse than 84.08% of 898
companies
in the Retail - Cyclical industry
Industry Median: 2.395
vs WHTPF: 6.37
A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt.
According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.
WH Smith Debt-to-EBITDA Related Terms
WH Smith Debt-to-EBITDA Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for WH Smith's Debt-to-EBITDA 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.
WHTPF vs CASY, WSM, DKS: Debt-to-EBITDA Comparison
For the Specialty Retail subindustry, WH Smith's Debt-to-EBITDA, along with its competitors' market caps and Debt-to-EBITDA 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.
WH Smith Debt-to-EBITDA vs Retail - Cyclical Industry
For the Retail - Cyclical industry and Consumer Cyclical sector, WH Smith's Debt-to-EBITDA distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where WH Smith's Debt-to-EBITDA 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.
In the calculation of annual Debt-to-EBITDA, the EBITDA of the last fiscal year is used. In calculating the annualized quarterly data,
the EBITDA data used here is two times the quarterly (Feb. 2026) EBITDA data.
WH Smith (WHTPF) has a Debt-to-EBITDA of 7.67 as of Feb. 2026. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on WH Smith. This is 262% above median its historical median of 2.12. According to the industry distribution chart, WH Smith ranks #755 out of 898 companies in the Retail - Cyclical industry, placing it in the top 84.1%.
Is WH Smith's Debt-to-EBITDA too high?
WH Smith's current Debt-to-EBITDA of 7.67 is 262% above median its 10-year median of 2.12. The Retail - Cyclical industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.40. WH Smith's value of 7.67 is 220.3% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, WH Smith ranks #755 out of 898 companies in the Retail - Cyclical industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, WH Smith has a GF Score™ of 55/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does WH Smith's Debt-to-EBITDA compare to CASY and WSM?
According to the Retail - Cyclical industry distribution chart, WH Smith ranks #755 out of 898 companies for Debt-to-EBITDA. This places WH Smith in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.40. WH Smith's value of 7.67 is 220.3% above this benchmark. While the company's 10-year median is 2.12 vs. the industry median of 2.40, WH Smith has consistently been above 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 Debt-to-EBITDA for a Retail - Cyclical company?
The median Debt-to-EBITDA among Retail - Cyclical companies is 2.40, based on 898 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Debt-to-EBITDA significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Debt-to-EBITDA should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. WH Smith's current Debt-to-EBITDA of 7.67 is 220.3% above 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 Debt-to-EBITDA mean?
A high Debt-to-EBITDA can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on WH Smith. For the Retail - Cyclical industry, the median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.40 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. WH Smith's current Debt-to-EBITDA is 7.67, which is 262% above median its own 10-year median of 2.12. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is WH Smith stock overvalued right now?
WH Smith (WHTPF) has a current Debt-to-EBITDA of 7.67. The stock's GF Value™ is $21.60, compared to a current price of $7.44 — trading 65.6% below its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-EBITDA is 7.67, which is 262% above median its 10-year median of 2.12 and 220.3% above the Retail - Cyclical industry median of 2.40. WH Smith's overall GF Score™ is 55/100 with 5 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Debt-to-EBITDA calculated?
Debt-to-EBITDA is calculated from a company's financial statements. For WH Smith (WHTPF), the current Debt-to-EBITDA is 7.67 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 WH Smith (WHTPF) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, WH Smith stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of $7.44 is trading 65.6% below its estimated GF Value™ of $21.60.
Key valuation signals for WHTPF:
Debt-to-EBITDA: 7.67 (262% above median its 10-year median of 2.12)
GF Value™: $21.60 vs. price of $7.44 (65.6% below fair value)
Industry Position: 220.3% above the Retail - Cyclical median (#755 of 898)
No single metric tells the full story. See the WHTPF stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
WH Smith PLC is a travel retailer providing travel essentials through stores in high-footfall transport hubs, operating as a pure-play travel retail business following the sale of its High Street operations. The Company offers a broad portfolio of products and services, including books and magazines, food-to-go, beverages, health and beauty items, travel and technology accessories, and selected partner services. Its operations are organised into three segments: the UK, which generates the majority of revenue and operates stores across airports, hospitals, railway stations, and service areas; North America, with stores mainly in airports and a Resorts business in Las Vegas; and the Rest of the World.
55GF Score
Get the complete analysis for WHTPF
Debt-to-EBITDA is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
Quick Browse
Personalize
Premium Gurus 
Create New Portfolio
WHTPF has been successfully added to your 
