ROA % is calculated as Net Income divided by its average Total Assets over a certain period of time. WH Smith's annualizedNet Income for the quarter that ended in Feb. 2026 was $-73 Mil.
WH Smith's average Total Assets over the quarter that ended in Feb. 2026 was $1,967 Mil. Therefore, WH Smith's annualized ROA % for the quarter that ended in Feb. 2026 was -3.73%.
The historical rank and industry rank for WH Smith's ROA % or its related term are showing as below:
WHTPF'
s ROA % Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -21.8 Med: 3.91 Max: 24.22
Current: -7.86
During the past 13 years, WH Smith's highest ROA % was 24.22%. The lowest was -21.80%. And the median was 3.91%.
WHTPF's ROA % is ranked worse than 87.92% of 1134
companies
in the Retail - Cyclical industry
Industry Median: 2.715
vs WHTPF: -7.86
WH Smith (OTCPK:WHTPF) ROA % Explanation
ROA % measures the rate of return on the total assets (shareholder equity plus liabilities). It measures a firm's efficiency at generating profits from shareholders' equity plus its liabilities. ROA % shows how well a company uses what it has to generate earnings. ROA %s can vary drastically across industries. Therefore, ROA % should not be used to compare companies in different industries. For retailers, a ROA % of higher than 5% is expected. For example, Wal-Mart (WMT) has a ROA % of about 8% as of 2012. For banks, ROA % is close to their interest spread. A banks ROA % is typically well under 2%.
Similar to ROE, ROA % is affected by profit margins and asset turnover. This can be seen from the Du Pont Formula:
Note:
The Net Income data used here is two times the semi-annual (Feb. 2026) net income data. The Revenue data used here is two times the semi-annual (Feb. 2026) revenue data.
* 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.
Be Aware
Like ROE, ROA % is calculated with only 12 months data. Fluctuations in the company's earnings or business cycles can affect the ratio drastically. It is important to look at the ratio from a long term perspective. ROA % can be affected by events such as stock buyback or issuance, and by goodwill, a company's tax rate and its interest payment. ROA % may not reflect the true earning power of the assets. A more accurate measurement is ROC % (ROC).
Many analysts argue the higher return the better. Buffett states that really high ROA % may indicate vulnerability in the durability of the competitive advantage.
E.g. Raising $43b to take on KO is impossible, but $1.7b to take on Moody's is. Although Moody's ROA % and underlying economics is far superior to Coca Cola, the durability is far weaker because of lower entry cost.
WH Smith ROA % Related Terms
WH Smith ROA % Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for WH Smith's ROA % 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 Specialty Retail subindustry, WH Smith's ROA %, along with its competitors' market caps and ROA % 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 ROA % vs Retail - Cyclical Industry
For the Retail - Cyclical industry and Consumer Cyclical sector, WH Smith's ROA % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where WH Smith's ROA % 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 ROA %, the net income of the last fiscal year and the average total assets over the fiscal year are used. In calculating the quarterly data,
the Net Income data used here is two times the semi-annual (Feb. 2026) net income data.
ROA % is displayed in the 30-year financial page.
WH Smith (WHTPF) has a ROA % of -3.73% as of Feb. 2026. Return on assets is the ratio of current-period net income to average two-period total assets. View historical data on WH Smith and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, WH Smith ranks #997 out of 1134 companies in the Retail - Cyclical industry, placing it in the top 87.9%.
Is WH Smith's ROA % too high?
WH Smith's current ROA % is -3.73%. Based on the distribution chart, WH Smith ranks #997 out of 1134 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 ROA % compare to CASY and WSM?
According to the Retail - Cyclical industry distribution chart, WH Smith ranks #997 out of 1134 companies for ROA %. This places WH Smith in the lower half of its industry. The industry median ROA % is 2.72. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good ROA % for a Retail - Cyclical company?
The median ROA % among Retail - Cyclical companies is 2.72, based on 1,134 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a ROA % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, ROA % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high ROA % mean?
A high ROA % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Return on assets is the ratio of current-period net income to average two-period total assets. View historical data on WH Smith and its competitors. For the Retail - Cyclical industry, the median ROA % is 2.72 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. WH Smith's current ROA % is -3.73%. 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 ROA % of -3.73%. The stock's GF Value™ is $22.29, compared to a current price of $7.44 — trading 66.6% below its estimated fair value. The current ROA % is -3.73%. 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 ROA % calculated?
ROA % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For WH Smith (WHTPF), the current ROA % is -3.73% 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 66.6% below its estimated GF Value™ of $22.29.
Key valuation signals for WHTPF:
ROA %: -3.73%
GF Value™: $22.29 vs. price of $7.44 (66.6% below fair value)
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
ROA % 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 
