Wh Smith Share Discussion Threads

[lyntwyn] 23/1/2007 09:53

the bulls have it methinks!

[omalaha] 23/1/2007 09:26

haven't opened short yet (although should have at 390p)- can't believe the rise, i must be missing something.

[rogid] 23/1/2007 09:04

Yes, this is quite a surprising reaction to the statement given it's the same old 'improved margins on falling sales'. When will the market acknowledge that this is not a viable long term business model without any prospects of growth? The initial rise has come off a bit (so far) and I'm going to sit on my positions for a while until things settle down a bit. It may well still drift off from here now. What else are you looking at?

[cfdtrdr] 23/1/2007 08:13

So further news reveals profits in line with expectation and a consequent rise in price. Have a stop in place though believe there will be a fall back from the highs we've seen so far. Can't win them all. :-(

[cfdtrdr] 23/1/2007 07:16

total lfl down 6% overall in 20 weeks to Jan 20th. 8 and 9% respectively in the High St for the 7 and 20 weeks to 20 Jan. Travel division up 4% lfl. Gross margin improved.

"looking ahead, we remain cautious about consumer spending in our markets and our plans reflect this."

I'm pretty pleased with that. Surely this will take a tumble now. Though the markets never cease to amaze me. This could open SMWH up to more takeover speculation once everything settles.

[rogid] 22/1/2007 19:01

I've been building a position since just before it broke 390 and with final additions today my average is now about 383p (short). I can only see this as a long term decliner - the benefits of cost cutting, rationalisation etc since Swann took over are all fine but, without sales growth, reality will catch up eventually and you can only dress up figures by using hidden reserves etc for so long. The distr business has aleady been spun off. Even if they achieve a modest incr in profit/margin I expect to see declining like for like sales and therefore expect it to come off such a high rating. Have been lucky with this one a few times previously. Hope I'm not wrong tomorrow!

[cfdtrdr] 22/1/2007 17:10

Anyone around here? I shorted a while back on anticipation / news from other book retailers (Watersons, Blacks etc) SMWH being turned around nicely but again expecting online competition and price wars on big selling titles to have impacted l4l. Not as confident as with the HMV short though. Any views / guesses on tomorrow's figures?

[baughfell] 17/1/2007 12:15

The share price is beginning to nicely break down now on the back of the Wollies update looking good for shorters

[jezboy1] 12/1/2007 14:57

well shorted HMV with a good result, and put WHSMITH in similar
bracket. - suspect this will range between 370-381 until the results
in a couple of weeks.

[mozza0508] 12/1/2007 08:21

I am no chartist but my opinion is that chart is neither strong nor weak. Anyway have opened a short from same level but that was two weeks ago. Only comfort being that share price had problem breaking above 380 and only in recent days it is beginnining to drift south. I will be happy to see share price continue this trend prior to trading update. Surely this company could not possibly have had a good christmas, unlike most other retailers!

[baughfell] 11/1/2007 17:52

weak looking chart, short from £3.81 a couple of days ago with a £3.40 target

[jezboy1] 05/1/2007 16:01

this time I got out at 370 to make a quick buck - (missed it yesterday)

and expected it to do the same thing it did yesterday... which it has.

Something funny going on here.

[jezboy1] 05/1/2007 12:04

or perhaps not :-)

[jezboy1] 04/1/2007 15:54

this is getting alot of support - even after the sector had a wobbly
after the Black's statement....

think I have likely misjudged the sentiment here. *sigh*

[jezboy1] 04/1/2007 12:12

I would disagree mate - share price is holding up well given the overall market
today.... think this is because of the results reported elsewhere today.

Early morning movement I missed - possible fat-finger?

[gspanner] 04/1/2007 09:28

Interesting that some positives from next and new look have had little effect here. More on Marks, but then it is a clothes retailer.

[jezboy1] 03/1/2007 17:24

You probably right mate - think there might be a jump if NXT report
positive retail figures tomorrow. That is even though clothes have
nothing to do with WH Smith :-)

[gspanner] 03/1/2007 16:46

Jez

Thought the best strategy was to wait until Lewis and Marks had released positive trading staements and sell the (artificial) peak created before the late (says it all really, no one knows whats going on) trading statement from WHS.

May be wrong though...

Good luck

[jezboy1] 02/1/2007 14:55

opened short at 382 today - any others out there?

[fur] 14/12/2006 10:26

WHS has not paid its September rent and service charges on three leases - anyone else got knowledge of similar signs of distress?

[rogid] 13/9/2006 19:43

Can feel another short coming on. Reflected glory from Next figs today. Distr. business split was already priced in at about £3. Mat dip toe in tomorrow.

[rogid] 12/4/2006 09:41

Thankfully I closed my shorts yesterday for a good profit. Phew.

I agree with Biscuit2. After the sale of the distr. business this will continue its orderly long term decline. Will look to have another short bite at some point.

[biscuit2] 12/4/2006 08:55

Same old problems, increased profits with falling sales or rising sales with falling profits, it would seem this age old problem has still not be solved.

[quidzinn] 12/4/2006 08:11

Anyone shorting this needs their head examining ...

Q