Smiths News PLC (SNWS) fair value: what the stock is really worth
As of Sep 23, 2026: fair value of Smiths News PLC £1.94, price £0.69, upside +180.4%, quality 69 out of 100. Calculated from audited financials with 26 valuation models and 37 quality factors, updated daily.
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Price vs Fair Value
White line = price, green steps = our fair value per fiscal year, dashed = 300-day average. As of Sep 23, 2026.
How to read this chart
60‑month range £0.1864 – £0.7360 · fair‑value band £1.49 – £2.51 · the £0.6920 price screens below the £1.94 fair value. Green steps = our fair value per fiscal year (point-in-time, no hindsight). Dashed = 300-day average. As of Sep 23, 2026.
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Smiths News plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the distributing of newspapers and magazines in the United Kingdom and internationally. The company offers plastic and cardboard waste; and is involved in recycling activities. It also supplies printed and digital media content airlines and travel points.
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Smiths News plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the distributing of newspapers and magazines in the United Kingdom and internationally. The company offers plastic and cardboard waste; and is involved in recycling activities. It also supplies printed and digital media content airlines and travel points. In addition, the company offers field-based merchandising, supply chain auditing, and compliance solutions. Further, it provides logistics and warehouse solutions, final mile delivery, storage, smiths news marketplace, field sales, customer services, print media, and recycling collections services. The company was formerly known as Connect Group PLC and changed its name to Smiths News plc in November 2020. Smiths News plc was incorporated in 2004 and is headquartered in Swindon, United Kingdom.
Stock analysis
Smiths News PLC (SNWS) currently trades at £0.6920, while our model-based Fair Value estimate is £1.94, implying the stock looks roughly 64.3% undervalued today.
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Valuation
Bull case: the Multiples group reads highest at a median of £2.25 per share, and 19 of the 24 models we run sit above the £0.6920 price.
Bear case: the Dividend Discount group reads lowest at £0.5400, and 5 of the 24 models stay below the price. Evidence for this calculation is low.
Scenario range: £1.49 (bear) to £2.51 (bull), the price of £0.6920 sits below it. Bear and bull are the same models on cautious and optimistic assumptions, a range, not a price target.
Quality & growth
The Quality Score stands at 69/100 (solid quality), in the Communication Services sector.
Weak Growth: Revenue is shrinking: the last year, the last three and the last five years are all negative.
Smiths News PLC reported revenue of £1.1B in FY2025 versus £1.1B in FY2021, a compound −1.0%/yr. Reported net income was £28.3M in FY2025, compounding +1.8%/yr from FY2021.
Key figures
Market cap 173M GBX · P/E ratio 6.3 · P/S ratio 0.17 · EPS (TTM) £0.1100 · Dividend yield 8.1% · Net margin 2.7% · Return on equity 13.5% · Return on assets (EBIT) 20.4%.
Competitive moat
Our AI-assisted moat analysis scores the competitive advantage at 48 out of 100 (low confidence).
What moves the price
The share trades about 6% below its 52-week high and 33% above its 52-week low, currently above its 200-day average.
For context, the median of 10 Communication Services peers we cover trades at 10% fair-value upside, at 180%, SNWS screens cheaper than that median.
Fair Value models
Bear £1.49Fair Value £1.94Bull £2.51
Model ⓘEach model values the company its own way (discounted cash flow, earnings, assets, dividends). The fair value above is their evidence-weighted blend, not the output of a single model. Based on fiscal year 2025 figures (about 12 months old). Earnings retained since then (£0.0540 per share) are deliberately not added.Bear ⓘBear = the cautious scenario: the same model computed with conservative anchors (lower growth, margins and valuation multiples). Together with Bull it frames a plausible valuation range, not a price target.BaseBull ⓘBull = the optimistic scenario: the same model computed with favourable anchors (higher growth, margins and valuation multiples). Together with Bear it frames a plausible valuation range, not a price target.Evidence ⓘEvidence = how well-backed THIS model's estimate is for this stock (0–100): how complete and reliable its input data are, and how well the model fits the company. The final Fair Value is an evidence-weighted blend, so better-evidenced models count more. Green ≥70, amber 50–69, grey below 50.
Growth Quality ⓘGrowth is valuable only when reinvestment earns attractive returns (Aswath Damodaran): sustainable growth depends on return on capital, reinvestment and efficiency. Basis: total company revenue over the periods shown on the cards (3Y/5Y/all years), not per share, so a merger can show up as a growth jump; per-share earnings growth is in the value-creation card.38/100
Revenue is shrinking: the last year, the last three and the last five years are all negative.
Revenue growth 1 year
−3.6%
Revenue growth 3 years ⓘMeasures the company's TOTAL revenue from reported annual statements: compound average growth per year (CAGR) from the fiscal year 3, 5 or N years back to the most recent comparable fiscal year. Not per share: buybacks do not change this number, and a merger can appear as a growth jump. Per-share growth (which does include buybacks) is in the value-creation card.
−0.8%
Revenue growth 5 years ⓘMeasures the company's TOTAL revenue from reported annual statements: compound average growth per year (CAGR) from the fiscal year 3, 5 or N years back to the most recent comparable fiscal year. Not per share: buybacks do not change this number, and a merger can appear as a growth jump. Per-share growth (which does include buybacks) is in the value-creation card.
−1.8%
Start year 2020 (pandemic). Over 10 years: −5.5% a year
Revenue growth 39 years ⓘMeasures the company's TOTAL revenue from reported annual statements: compound average growth per year (CAGR) from the fiscal year 3, 5 or N years back to the most recent comparable fiscal year. Not per share: buybacks do not change this number, and a merger can appear as a growth jump. Per-share growth (which does include buybacks) is in the value-creation card.
−0.5%
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What shareholders gained per year (last 5 years) ⓘWhat the business itself delivers per year: earnings growth per share plus the dividend yield. This is what you get IF the market keeps valuing the stock the same way: it contains no assumption about the market changing its mind. Computed per share, so buybacks count and a merger does not pass as growth. For a company that pays no dividend it is pure earnings growth per share. Period: earnings growth per share as CAGR over the last 5 reported fiscal years (annual statements), plus the current dividend yield. The start value is the median of the three years around the start, so a single crisis year (a pandemic or a write-down) does not distort the rate.
+16.3%
Earnings growth per share plus dividend.
Earnings per share, growth per year+8.2%
Dividend (yield on the price)8.1%
Pace: 5 vs 10 years ⓘTwo data points, not a trend model: earnings growth per share over the last 5 fiscal years against the last 10. Labelled "steady" when both rates are within 3 percentage points of each other, otherwise picking up or flattening. Shown only when ten years of history exist.8% vs −2%, picking up
Profit margin 2019 to 2025 ⓘOperating margin then vs now, from reported annual statements. A falling margin after a boom year is the classic peak-earnings signal: the growth rate then leans on an inflated base.1% → 4%
Start year 2020 (pandemic)
⚠ Revenue per share shrinking 6.3%/yr over ~10Y (margins intact) ⓘStructural-decline marker: revenue PER SHARE has fallen over the last decade (robust median trend, not a single year). Backtested across 2005 to 2017, such businesses trailed the market by about 2.5 percentage points per year. Display only: it does not change the fair value or the quality score.
Growth Forecast
Little optimism in the price
The price assumes less growth than the company has delivered so far and less than analysts expect.
What the price assumes ⓘThis turns our valuation around: instead of asking what the share is worth, it asks what growth the current price requires. It uses the cash the company keeps after all spending (free cash flow), the same discount rate as our models, five years of growth, then slowing evenly to 2 % a year by year ten. Compared with the analysts' sales forecasts extended to the same five years (at least three analysts, for context only, it does not enter the Fair Value): within 3 percentage points counts as "in line" (amber), below that little optimism (green), above that a lot of optimism (red).
−16.9%
Yearly growth needed for the next five years to justify today's price.
What forecasts expect ⓘAnalysts publish sales forecasts for the next two fiscal years. For the years after that, growth slows evenly to 2 % a year by year ten (2 % is the long-run rate our models use). Projected years are marked as such.
−2.3%
Yearly sales growth analysts expect, extended to five years.
After inflation (UK: IMF forecast 2.3% a year to 2030, 3.3% from 2016 to 2025) that is about −18.8% a year for the price and −4.5% for the forecasts.
Price, fair value, quality and upside side by side.
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Peer GroupⓘHow this stock ranks against its industry: the green marker is this stock, the band is the typical 25–75% peer range, and the tick is the median.Publishing · 108 stocks
Beats the industry median on 8/14 measures
A mixed picture versus its industry peers.
Valuation
Quality Score69 · Top 25%
Fair Value upside+180% · Top 25%
Profitability
Return on equity (TTM)14% · Top 25%
Return on assets14% · Top 25%
Net margin (TTM)3% · Below median
Operating margin (TTM)3% · Below median
Growth and dividend
Revenue growth−4% · Below median
Dividend yield (TTM)8.1% · Top 25%
Balance sheet
Debt / equity0.18× · Above median
Valuation Multiplesvs Publishing median · lower = cheaper
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Is Smiths News PLC (SNWS) overvalued or undervalued?
As of Sep 23, 2026, our model estimates a fair value of £1.94 versus a price of £0.6920, about +180% upside (undervalued).
What is the fair value of SNWS?
Our model-based fair value for Smiths News PLC is £1.94 (as of Sep 23, 2026), built from audited fundamentals. The current price: £0.6920.
What is the quality score of SNWS?
Smiths News PLC has a Quality Score of 69/100. It measures business quality (profitability, growth, cash flow, balance-sheet strength, investment discipline, share issuance). Market factors such as price momentum and volatility do not enter the number; they are shown separately in the detail view.
What is the price target for Smiths News PLC (SNWS)?
Our model-based price target is the fair value of £1.94 (as of Sep 23, 2026) from 24 valuation models. Cautious scenario £1.49, optimistic scenario £2.51. It is a calculation from audited fundamentals, not an analyst target.
What is the Smiths News PLC stock forecast for 2026?
Our models put fair value at £1.94, about +180% upside versus a price of £0.6920 (undervalued). Cautious scenario £1.49, optimistic scenario £2.51. The calculation is refreshed regularly with new filings.
What is the revenue of Smiths News PLC (SNWS)?
Smiths News PLC reported trailing-twelve-month revenue of about £1.0B (latest available figure, as of Sep 23, 2026).
Does Smiths News PLC pay a dividend?
Smiths News PLC currently shows a dividend yield of about 8.09% relative to its recent price (as of Sep 23, 2026).
What growth is priced into Smiths News PLC (SNWS)?
For today's price to be fair in a discounted-cash-flow model, Smiths News PLC would have to grow free cash flow by -16.9 % per year for five years (discount rate 11.8 %, then slowing evenly to 2 % perpetual growth by year ten). Over the last 5 years revenue grew -1.8 % per year. As of Sep 23, 2026.
What discount rate (WACC) does the fair value of SNWS use?
Our models discount Smiths News PLC at 11.8 %: a base by market capitalisation (micro), damped by beta 0.31, country premium for United Kingdom. The same rate applies in all 26 models.
What is a reverse DCF?
A reverse DCF turns the usual calculation around. Instead of deriving a value from assumptions, it takes today's price as given and asks: what free-cash-flow growth would a company have to deliver for exactly this price to be fair? The result is not a forecast but the expectation already priced in. For Smiths News PLC that is -16.9 % per year a year over ten years, using the same discount rate (11.8 %) and the same formula as our fair value.
How much growth has Smiths News PLC (SNWS) delivered so far?
Over the past 5 years revenue at Smiths News PLC grew -1.8 % a year. The price currently implies -16.9 % per year free-cash-flow growth a year. Comparing the two shows how much confidence is in the price: if it demands more than has been delivered, the business has to accelerate for the maths to work.
How fast is the sector of Smiths News PLC (SNWS) growing?
The median revenue growth in the sector is +1.6 % a year. That is the yardstick for the growth priced into Smiths News PLC (-16.9 % per year a year): it shows whether the expectation is within the usual range or beyond it.
What is the free cash flow yield of Smiths News PLC (SNWS)?
The free-cash-flow yield on the price is 24.66 %: that much free cash flow Smiths News PLC produces per unit of market value. When it exceeds the discount rate of our models (11.8 %), the business already earns more than its cost of capital demands, and the price needs little additional growth.
What is the intrinsic value of Smiths News PLC (SNWS)?
Intrinsic value and fair value mean the same thing: what the business is worth on its numbers, independent of the share price. For Smiths News PLC it is £1.94 per share (as of Sep 23, 2026), against a price of £0.6920. It is the blended result of 24 valuation models (cash flow, earnings, asset, dividend).
Is Smiths News PLC stock overvalued or undervalued in 2026?
As of Sep 23, 2026, SNWS trades below its calculated fair value: price £0.6920, fair value £1.94, a gap of about +180% (undervalued). The calculation is refreshed with each new quarterly report, so the verdict can change during the year.
Is fair value the same as the market price of SNWS?
No. The price is what the market pays today (£0.6920); the fair value is what the company's own numbers justify (£1.94). For Smiths News PLC the two are £1.25 per share apart. That gap is exactly why we show both numbers side by side.
How much is Smiths News PLC worth?
The market values Smiths News PLC at about 173M GBX (market capitalisation, as of Sep 23, 2026). Per share that is £0.6920; our models calculate a fair value of £1.94 per share.
What do the bullish and bearish scenarios say about SNWS?
Our models span a range for Smiths News PLC: cautious scenario £1.49, base £1.94, optimistic £2.51 per share (as of Sep 23, 2026, price £0.6920). The range comes from different growth and margin assumptions, not from analyst opinions.
What is the P/E ratio of SNWS?
Smiths News PLC trades at a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.3 (as of Sep 23, 2026). A P/E on its own says little: it compares the price with ONE year of profit, while our fair value of £1.94 is built from several models across several years. Other multiples: P/B 24.1, P/S 0.2, EV/EBITDA 5.3.
How solid is the balance sheet of Smiths News PLC (SNWS)?
Balance-sheet figures for Smiths News PLC (as of Sep 23, 2026): return on equity 13.5%, debt of 0.18 per unit of equity. They feed the Quality Score of 69/100, which measures business quality independently of the share price.
How far is SNWS from its 52-week high?
Smiths News PLC trades at £0.6920, about 6% below its 52-week high of £0.7360 and 33% above the low of £0.5184 (as of Sep 23, 2026). Distance from the high says nothing about value: that is what the fair value of £1.94 is for.
Which stocks are comparable to Smiths News PLC?
From the same area (Communication Services) we also value The New York Times Company, Jiangsu Phoenix Publishing & Media Corporation, China Science Publishing & Media Ltd, People.cn CO., LTD, among others. Each of them has its own fair-value calculation on this site using the same models, so the comparison is like for like.
Is Smiths News PLC stock attractive at the current price?
The data as of Sep 23, 2026: price £0.6920, calculated fair value £1.94 (+180%), Quality Score 69/100, from 24 models. Whether that fits your horizon and risk tolerance is your call. We provide the calculation, not investment advice.
How is the fair value of SNWS calculated?
We run Smiths News PLC through 24 models from four families: discounted cash flow, earnings models, asset and balance-sheet models, and dividend models. Every model gets the same audited fundamentals; the result is the weighted average of £1.94, with the spread shown as a cautious and an optimistic scenario.
Is it still worth investing in stocks now?
The global stock market currently sits 14.1 % above its aggregate fair value. Smiths News PLC currently trades 180 % below its own fair value, and the market average says nothing about that. An expensive market is no reason to stay out and no reason to buy everything at once: keep a broad savings plan running, buy single stocks only with money you can do without, and hold part of your money liquid while the market is high. The full picture including sectors is on is it worth investing now.
What is the share price of Smiths News PLC (SNWS)?
The closing price on Sep 23, 2026 was £0.6920. Our model-based fair value is £1.94, about +180% upside (undervalued). We carry closing prices from our data provider, not a live tick.
What should I pay attention to with Smiths News PLC right now?
The price is below even our cautious bear case (£1.49). The market is more pessimistic than our downside scenario. The large gap to fair value rests on thin data (low evidence): fewer applicable models and a shorter history. Read it with extra caution. Solid quality (69/100) at a price below fair value, the discount is the argument here, not the business quality.
Where does the earnings growth of Smiths News PLC (SNWS) come from?
Earnings per share at Smiths News PLC grew −2.2 % a year from 2014 to 2025. Broken into its drivers: revenue per share −6.6 %, EBIT margin +4.9 %, tax rate −0.4 %, residual (interest, one-offs) +0.2 %. The four rates multiply to the earnings growth rate, they do not add up. Start and end are three-year averages so a single exceptional year does not distort the result.
Key figures of Smiths News PLC
How large is the market capitalisation of Smiths News PLC (SNWS)?
The market capitalisation of Smiths News PLC is 173M GBX. The stock-market value of the whole company: share price times number of shares. It is what the market asks for the entire business today.
What is the P/S ratio of Smiths News PLC (SNWS)?
The price-to-sales ratio of Smiths News PLC is 0.17 (P/E × margin). Price to sales: market value relative to yearly revenue. Useful when profit is thin or distorted.
What are the earnings per share of Smiths News PLC (SNWS)?
Earnings per share at Smiths News PLC are £0.1100 (price ÷ EPS = P/E 6.3). Earnings per share over the last twelve months: total profit spread across every single share.
What is the dividend yield of Smiths News PLC (SNWS)?
The dividend yield of Smiths News PLC is 8.1% (payout 50.9%). Yearly dividend relative to the share price. 3% pays 3 per 100 invested. Below: how much of profit is used for it.
What is the net margin of Smiths News PLC (SNWS)?
The net margin of Smiths News PLC is 2.7% (fiscal year 2025). How much of every unit of revenue ends up as profit. 10% means 10 cents of profit per dollar of sales.
What is the return on equity of Smiths News PLC (SNWS)?
The return on equity (ROE) of Smiths News PLC is 13.5% (last twelve months). Profit relative to shareholders' equity, how efficiently the company works with its owners' money.
What is the EBIT return on assets of Smiths News PLC (SNWS)?
On an EBIT basis the return on assets of Smiths News PLC is 20.4% (avg 5y). Operating profit (EBIT) relative to everything the company owns, as a multi-year average. It describes the business model rather than one good or bad year.
What is the operating margin of Smiths News PLC (SNWS)?
The operating margin of Smiths News PLC is 3.5% (last twelve months). Profit from the core business (before interest and taxes) relative to revenue.
How fast is revenue growing at Smiths News PLC (SNWS)?
Revenue at Smiths News PLC is growing −3.9% versus a year earlier (3y avg −0.8%). How much revenue grew versus a year earlier (YoY). The 3-year average next to it puts the single year in context.
How fast are earnings growing at Smiths News PLC (SNWS)?
Earnings per share at Smiths News PLC are growing −11.1% versus a year earlier. How much earnings per share grew versus a year earlier.
How much net debt does Smiths News PLC (SNWS) carry?
The net debt of Smiths News PLC is 24.0M GBX (fiscal year 2025, ≈ 0.6 yrs of FCF). Debt minus cash on hand. The note shows how many years of free cash flow could in theory pay it off.
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