WH Smith expects annual profit at lower end of forecast
WH Smith expects annual profit at lower end of forecast
Wed, September 16, 2026 at 6:45 AM UTC
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Sept 16 (Reuters) - British retailer WH Smith said on Wednesday it expects annual profit at the lower end of its earlier forecast range, as margins were squeezed by inflation turbo-charged by the Iran war and higher promotional activity.
The company is reviewing its North American operations and shutting underperforming stores in a turnaround effort after cutting its profit forecast twice in two months and raising capital earlier this year as the war hit travel and passenger spending.
WH Smith, which sells everything from books to travel accessories and confectionery, expects headline pre-tax profit of about £75 million ($101 million) for the year ended August 31, compared with its earlier view of between £75 million and £90 million.
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Its like-for-like sales in North America fell 3% in the fourth quarter, reflecting lower passenger volumes and softer demand, while sales in the UK grew 4%.
($1 = 0.7418 pounds)
(Reporting by Ankita Bora in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich)
Source: “AOL Money”
