Smiths NewsSMWPY 53 Operating Margin % is 3.53% as of Feb. 2026, which is 4% above its 10-year median of 3.39. GuruFocus rates SMWPY with a GF Score™ of 53/100 and a GF Value™ of $3.19. The stock has 4 warning signs investors should review. Among 1,023 Media - Diversified companies, Smiths News ranks better than 54.64% on this metric.
Operating Margin % is calculated as Operating Income divided by its Revenue. Smiths News's Operating Income for the
six
months ended in Feb. 2026 was $25 Mil. Smiths News's Revenue for the
six
months ended in Feb. 2026 was $701 Mil. Therefore, Smiths News's Operating Margin % for the quarter that ended in Feb. 2026 was 3.53%.
Good Sign:
Smiths News PLC operating margin is expanding. Margin expansion is usually a good sign.
The historical rank and industry rank for Smiths News's Operating Margin % or its related term are showing as below:
SMWPY'
s Operating Margin % Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 1.48 Med: 3.39 Max: 3.69
Current: 3.64
SMWPY's Operating Margin % is ranked better than 54.64% of 1023
companies
in the Media - Diversified industry
Industry Median: 2.51
vs SMWPY: 3.64
Smiths News's 5-Year Average Operating Margin % Growth Rate was 3.10% per year.
Just like Gross Margin %, it is important to see a company maintains its operating margin over time. Among the same industry, a company with higher operating margin is more efficient in its operation. It is also more stable during industry slowdown or recessions. Peter Lynch prefers those with higher margins than those with lower margins.
Be Aware
Operating Margin % can be manipulated by adjusting the rate of depreciation, depletion and amortization (DDA).
If a company is facing competition, its Operating Margin % may decline. Often the Operating Margin % declines well before the company's Revenue or even profit decline. Therefore, Operating Margin % is a very important indicator of whether the company is facing problems.
For instance, by 2012, Nokia (NOK)'s problems were well known and its stock had lost more than 90% of its market value since 2007. But Nokias Operating Margin % had already been in decline since 2002, although its Earnings per Share (Diluted) were still rising. Investors who paid attention to Operating Margin % would have avoided this huge loss. The same can be said for Research-in-Motion (RIMM).
Therefore, Operating Margin % is a very important screening filter for GuruFocus. GuruFocus's Buffett-Munger screener requires that the profit margin is either consistent or expanding. The Model Portfolio of the Buffett-Munger screener has outperformed the market every year since inception in 2009.
Smiths News Operating Margin % Related Terms
Smiths News Operating Margin % Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Smiths News's Operating Margin % 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 Operating Margin %, along with its competitors' market caps and Operating Margin % 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 Operating Margin % vs Media - Diversified Industry
For the Media - Diversified industry and Communication Services sector, Smiths News's Operating Margin % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Smiths News's Operating Margin % falls into.
Operating Margin % - also known as operating income margin, operating profit margin and return on sales (ROS) - is the ratio of Operating Income divided by net sales or Revenue, usually presented in percent.
Smiths News's Operating Margin % for the fiscal year that ended in Aug. 2025 is calculated as
* 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 (SMWPY) has a Operating Margin % of 3.53% as of Feb. 2026. Operating margin is the ratio of total operating income to net sales. View historical data on Smiths News and its competitors. This is near median its historical median of 3.39. Over the past decade, Smiths News' Operating Margin % has ranged from 1.48 to 3.69. According to the industry distribution chart, Smiths News ranks #464 out of 1023 companies in the Media - Diversified industry, placing it in the top 45.4%.
Is Smiths News' Operating Margin % too high?
Smiths News' current Operating Margin % of 3.53% is near median its 10-year median of 3.39. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 1.48 to a high of 3.69. The Media - Diversified industry median Operating Margin % is 2.51. Smiths News' value of 3.53% is 40.6% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Smiths News ranks #464 out of 1023 companies in the Media - Diversified industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, Smiths News has a GF Score™ of 53/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Smiths News' Operating Margin % compare to NYT and WLY?
According to the Media - Diversified industry distribution chart, Smiths News ranks #464 out of 1023 companies for Operating Margin %. This puts Smiths News in the upper half of its industry. The industry median Operating Margin % is 2.51. Smiths News' value of 3.53% is 40.6% above this benchmark. Historically, Smiths News' own Operating Margin % has ranged from 1.48 to 3.69 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 3.39 vs. the industry median of 2.51, Smiths News 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 Operating Margin % for a Media - Diversified company?
The median Operating Margin % among Media - Diversified companies is 2.51, based on 1,023 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Operating Margin % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Operating Margin % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Smiths News's current Operating Margin % of 3.53% is 40.6% 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 Operating Margin % mean?
A high Operating Margin % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Operating margin is the ratio of total operating income to net sales. View historical data on Smiths News and its competitors. For the Media - Diversified industry, the median Operating Margin % is 2.51 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Smiths News's current Operating Margin % is 3.53%, which is near median its own 10-year median of 3.39. 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?
Smiths News (SMWPY) has a current Operating Margin % of 3.53%. The stock's GF Value™ is $3.19, compared to a current price of $4.13 — trading 29.5% above its estimated fair value. The current Operating Margin % is 3.53%, which is near median its 10-year median of 3.39 and 40.6% above the Media - Diversified industry median of 2.51. Smiths News' overall GF Score™ is 53/100 with 4 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Operating Margin % calculated?
Operating Margin % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Smiths News (SMWPY), the current Operating Margin % is 3.53% 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 (SMWPY) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Smiths News stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $4.13 is trading 29.5% above its estimated GF Value™ of $3.19.
Key valuation signals for SMWPY:
Operating Margin %: 3.53% (near median its 10-year median of 3.39)
GF Value™: $3.19 vs. price of $4.13 (29.5% above fair value)
Industry Position: 40.6% above the Media - Diversified median (#464 of 1023)
No single metric tells the full story. See the SMWPY 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
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