Business
Preliminary Results Announcement
WH Smith PLC reported a 5% increase in total revenue to £1,553 million for the year ended 31 August 2025, driven by growth across its UK, North America, and Rest of the World divisions. However, headline group profit before tax and non-underlying items decreased to £108 million from £114 million in the prior year, with headline diluted EPS at 43.4p. The company has completed its strategic shift to a pure-play travel retailer following the sale of its High Street business and funkypigeon.com. The group is proposing a final dividend of 6.0p per share, maintaining its dividend policy. The company expects FY26 headline group profit before tax and non-underlying items to be between £100 million and £115 million. The Financial Conduct Authority has commenced an investigation into the company. Disclaimer*
About this update from Wh Smith Plc
[{"type":"text","content":"\n\n19 December 2025 \n \nWH SMITH PLC\n \nThe global travel retailer\nPRELIMINARY RESULTS ANNOUNCEMENT\nFOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025\n \nGroup completes strategic shift into pure-play travel retail \nClear strategic priorities to drive sustainable profitable growth\n \n· Completion of the Group's transformation into a pure-play travel retailer following the sale of the High Street business and funkypigeon.com\n· Total Group revenue up 5% to £1,553m (20241: £1,473m)\no UK up 5%; North America (NA) up 7%*; Rest of the World and Other ('ROW') up 12%*\n· Headline Group profit before tax and non-underlying items2 £108m (20241: £114m)\no Headline Group trading profit2 of £159m (20241: £170m)\n· Headline diluted EPS before non-underlying items2 43.4p\n· Proposed final dividend of 6.0p per share, resulting in full year dividend of 17.3p per share, maintaining our dividend policy of 2.5x cover, reset to our continuing business earnings\n· Clear priorities established by division and a more focused strategy to deliver profitable growth and enhanced return on capital:\no expand and strengthen category leadership in UK Travel essentials, scale health and beauty and food-to-go offer;\no enhanced focus on NA Travel Essentials business. Plan to exit North America fashion and speciality stores and to review the breadth of InMotion NA portfolio; and\no strengthen core ROW markets, new growth driven through franchise model, review and exit non-core markets.\n· Following the findings of the Deloitte Review announced on 19 November 2025, a comprehensive remediation plan is in place and progressing at pace\n· The Financial Conduct Authority ('FCA') has commenced an investigation into the Company\n· The Group expects to deliver FY26 Headline Group pr...