WH SmithWHTPF -8.03%59 ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 0.31% as of Feb. 2026, which is 98% below its 10-year median of 19.48. GuruFocus rates WHTPF with a GF Score™ of 59/100 and a GF Value™ of $21.46. The stock has 5 warning signs investors should review. Among 1,123 Retail - Cyclical companies, WH Smith ranks worse than 68.21% on this metric.
Joel Greenblatt defined Return on Capital differently in his book The Little Book That Still Beats the Market (Little Books. Big Profits). He defines ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % as EBIT divided by the total of Property, Plant and Equipment and net working capital. WH Smith's annualized ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % for the quarter that ended in Feb. 2026 was 0.31%.
The historical rank and industry rank for WH Smith's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % or its related term are showing as below:
WHTPF'
s ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -64.52 Med: 19.48 Max: 88.2
Current: 4.24
During the past 13 years, WH Smith's highest ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % was 88.20%. The lowest was -64.52%. And the median was 19.48%.
WHTPF's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is ranked worse than 68.21% of 1123
companies
in the Retail - Cyclical industry
Industry Median: 11.57
vs WHTPF: 4.24
WH Smith's 5-Year average Growth Rate of ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % was 0.00% per year.
WH Smith (OTCPK:WHTPF) ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % Explanation
The way Joel Greenblatt defines Return on Capital is a more accurate measure of how efficiently the company generates returns onthe capital actually invested in the business. EBIT is used instead of net income because the tax and interest payment may be affected by factors other than the core business operation. Intangible assets are not included in the calculation because they don't need to be replaced.
The historical data trend for WH Smith's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % 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: ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % Comparison
For the Specialty Retail subindustry, WH Smith's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) %, along with its competitors' market caps and ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % 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 ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % vs Retail - Cyclical Industry
For the Retail - Cyclical industry and Consumer Cyclical sector, WH Smith's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where WH Smith's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % falls into.
Joel Greenblatt defined Return on Capital differently in his book The Little Book That Still Beats the Market (Little Books. Big Profits) . He defines Return on Capital as follows:
EBIT stands for Earnings Before Interest and Taxes.
Fixed Assets are also known as non-current assets. They include the Property, Plant and Equipment that the firm needs in its operation.
GuruFocus calculates net working capital as: (Accounts Receivable + Total Inventories + Other Current Assets) - (Accounts Payable & Accrued Expense + Deferred Revenue + Other Current Liabilities). We're trying to account for OPERATING assets and liabilities (part of daily business) when calculating working capital. Cash and marketable securities are considered NON-OPERATING assets and are not included in calculation. We will also back out all interest bearing debt, short term debt and the portion of long term debt that is due in the current period from the current liabilities. This debt will be considered when computing cost of capital and it would be inappropriate to count it twice.
Note:
The EBIT data used here is two times the semi-annual (Feb. 2026) EBIT 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.
What does a ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % of 0.31% mean?
WH Smith (WHTPF) has a ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % of 0.31% as of Feb. 2026. Joel Greenblatt's return on capital is the ratio of EBIT to average fixed assets and net working capital. View historical data on WH Smith and its competitors. This is 98% below median its historical median of 19.48. According to the industry distribution chart, WH Smith ranks #766 out of 1123 companies in the Retail - Cyclical industry, placing it in the top 68.2%.
Is WH Smith's ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % too high?
WH Smith's current ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % of 0.31% is 98% below median its 10-year median of 19.48. The Retail - Cyclical industry median ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 11.57. WH Smith's value of 0.31% is 97.3% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, WH Smith ranks #766 out of 1123 companies in the Retail - Cyclical industry, which is below 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 ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % compare to CASY and WSM?
According to the Retail - Cyclical industry distribution chart, WH Smith ranks #766 out of 1123 companies for ROC (Joel Greenblatt) %. This places WH Smith in the lower half of its industry. The industry median ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 11.57. WH Smith's value of 0.31% is 97.3% below this benchmark. While the company's 10-year median is 19.48 vs. the industry median of 11.57, WH Smith 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 ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % for a Retail - Cyclical company?
The median ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % among Retail - Cyclical companies is 11.57, based on 1,123 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. WH Smith's current ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % of 0.31% is 97.3% 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 ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % mean?
A high ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Joel Greenblatt's return on capital is the ratio of EBIT to average fixed assets and net working capital. View historical data on WH Smith and its competitors. For the Retail - Cyclical industry, the median ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 11.57 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. WH Smith's current ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 0.31%, which is 98% below median its own 10-year median of 19.48. 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 ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % of 0.31%. The stock's GF Value™ is $21.46, compared to a current price of $7.44 — trading 65.3% below its estimated fair value. The current ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 0.31%, which is 98% below median its 10-year median of 19.48 and 97.3% below the Retail - Cyclical industry median of 11.57. 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 ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % calculated?
ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For WH Smith (WHTPF), the current ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % is 0.31% 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 65.3% below its estimated GF Value™ of $21.46.
Key valuation signals for WHTPF:
ROC (Joel Greenblatt) %: 0.31% (98% below median its 10-year median of 19.48)
GF Value™: $21.46 vs. price of $7.44 (65.3% below fair value)
Industry Position: 97.3% below the Retail - Cyclical median (#766 of 1123)
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
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