WH Smith (OTCPK:WHTPF) Forward PE Ratio Explanation
The Forward PE Ratio of a company is often used to compare current earnings to estimated future earnings, as well as gaining a clearer picture of what earnings will look like without charges and other accounting adjustments. If earnings are expected to grow in the future, the Forward PE Ratio will be lower than the current PE Ratio. This measure is also used to compare one company to another with a forward-looking focus.
Trailing PE Ratio relies on what is already done. It uses the current share price and divides by the total EPS (Basic) over the past 12 months. PE Ratio can be affected by Non Operating Income such as the sale of part of businesses. This may increase for the current year or quarter dramatically. But it cannot be repeated over and over. Therefore PE Ratio without NRI is a more accurate indication of valuation than PE Ratio .
WH Smith Forward PE Ratio Related Terms
WH Smith Forward PE Ratio Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for WH Smith's Forward PE 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.
WH Smith Forward PE Ratio Chart
WH Smith Annual Data
Trend
2024-08
2025-08
Forward PE Ratio
11.75
9.27
WH Smith Semi-Annual Data
2022-02
2023-02
2024-02
2024-08
2025-02
2025-08
2026-02
Forward PE Ratio
37.74
21.69
16.16
11.75
12.57
9.27
11.63
WHTPF vs CASY, WSM, DKS: Forward PE Ratio Comparison
For the Specialty Retail subindustry, WH Smith's Forward PE Ratio, along with its competitors' market caps and Forward PE 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.
WH Smith Forward PE Ratio vs Retail - Cyclical Industry
For the Retail - Cyclical industry and Consumer Cyclical sector, WH Smith's Forward PE Ratio distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where WH Smith's Forward PE Ratio falls into.
It's a measure of the price-to-earnings ratio (PE Ratio) using forecasted earnings for the calculation. While the earnings used are just an estimate and are not as reliable as current earnings data, there is still benefit in estimated P/E analysis. The forecasted earnings used in the formula can either be for the next 12 months or for the next full-year fiscal period.
WH Smith (WHTPF) has a Forward PE Ratio of 14.45 as of Jul. 09, 2026. Forward P/E ratio is the share price dividend by the expected per-share earnings in the next 12 months. View historical data on WH Smith and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, WH Smith ranks #145 out of 503 companies in the Retail - Cyclical industry, placing it in the top 28.8%.
Is WH Smith's Forward PE Ratio too high?
WH Smith's current Forward PE Ratio is 14.45. The Retail - Cyclical industry median Forward PE Ratio is 15.08. WH Smith's value of 14.45 is 4.2% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, WH Smith ranks #145 out of 503 companies in the Retail - Cyclical industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, WH Smith has a GF Score™ of 59/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does WH Smith's Forward PE Ratio compare to CASY and WSM?
According to the Retail - Cyclical industry distribution chart, WH Smith ranks #145 out of 503 companies for Forward PE Ratio. This puts WH Smith in the upper half of its industry. The industry median Forward PE Ratio is 15.08. WH Smith's value of 14.45 is 4.2% below this benchmark. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Forward PE Ratio for a Retail - Cyclical company?
The median Forward PE Ratio among Retail - Cyclical companies is 15.08, based on 503 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Forward PE Ratio significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Forward PE Ratio should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. WH Smith's current Forward PE Ratio of 14.45 is 4.2% 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 Forward PE Ratio mean?
A high Forward PE Ratio can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Forward P/E ratio is the share price dividend by the expected per-share earnings in the next 12 months. View historical data on WH Smith and its competitors. For the Retail - Cyclical industry, the median Forward PE Ratio is 15.08 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. WH Smith's current Forward PE Ratio is 14.45. 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 Forward PE Ratio of 14.45. The stock's GF Value™ is $21.53, compared to a current price of $7.44 — trading 65.4% below its estimated fair value. The current Forward PE Ratio is 14.45 and 4.2% below the Retail - Cyclical industry median of 15.08. WH Smith's overall GF Score™ is 59/100 with 5 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Forward PE Ratio calculated?
Forward PE Ratio is calculated from a company's financial statements. For WH Smith (WHTPF), the current Forward PE Ratio is 14.45 as of Jul. 09, 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 65.4% below its estimated GF Value™ of $21.53.
Key valuation signals for WHTPF:
Forward PE Ratio: 14.45
GF Value™: $21.53 vs. price of $7.44 (65.4% below fair value)
Industry Position: 4.2% below the Retail - Cyclical median (#145 of 503)
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.
59GF Score
Get the complete analysis for WHTPF
Forward PE 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
WHTPF has been successfully added to your 