SMITHS NEWS TRADING LIMITED
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Next accounts due
2027-05-31 (in 1y)
Last filed for 2025-08-30
Confirmation statement due
2027-01-26 (in 8mo)
Last made up 2026-01-12
Watchouts
None on the register
Cash
£3M
-39.6% vs 2024
Net assets
£41M
-88.5% vs 2024
Employees
1,398
-3.6% vs 2024
Profit before tax
£45M
+10.9% vs 2024
Name history
Renamed 3 times since incorporation
- SMITHS NEWS TRADING LIMITED 2006-09-13 → present
- WH SMITH TRADING LIMITED 2000-01-19 → 2006-09-13
- W H SMITH LIMITED 1988-01-01 → 2000-01-19
- W.H.SMITH & SON LIMITED 1929-03-09 → 1988-01-01
Net assets
2-year trend · vs Consumer Discretionary median
Accounts
2-year trend · latest reflected 2025-08-30
| Metric | Trend | 2024-08-31 | 2025-08-30 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | £1,098,200,000 | £1,057,400,000 | |
| Operating profit | £39,400,000 | £40,400,000 | |
| Profit before tax | £40,300,000 | £44,700,000 | |
| Net profit | £31,700,000 | £35,600,000 | |
| Cash | £5,300,000 | £3,200,000 | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | £407,300,000 | £72,600,000 | |
| Net assets | £359,700,000 | £41,300,000 | |
| Equity | £359,700,000 | £41,300,000 | |
| Average employees | 1,450 | 1,398 | |
| Wages | £38,700,000 | £40,300,000 |
Values shown as filed in the company's annual accounts. — indicates the figure wasn't present under that line item in that period. About these numbers
Ratios
Computed from the line items above — sparklines read oldest → newest
| Ratio | Trend | 2024-08-31 | 2025-08-30 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating margin | 3.6% | 3.8% | |
| Net margin | 2.9% | 3.4% | |
| Return on capital employed | 9.7% | 55.6% | |
| Current ratio | 3.69x | 1.18x | |
| Interest cover | 13.59x | 11.54x |
Margins divide P&L lines by turnover. Gearing is liabilities over total assets. Current ratio is current assets over creditors falling due within one year. Interest cover is operating profit over absolute finance costs. Sector-distribution context coming next.
Audit & accounting basis
- Accounting basis
- FRS 101
- Reporting scope
- Standalone (parent only)
- Auditor
- BDO LLP
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Affirmed
“Having considered the funding requirements and the principal and emerging risks of the Group, including Smiths News Trading Limited, the directors are confident that headroom under our bank facility remains adequate, future covenant tests can be met and there is a reasonable expectation that the business can meet its liabilities as they fall due for a period of greater than 12 months (being an assessment period of 12 months) from the date of approval of the Company Financial Statements. For this reason, the directors continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements and no material uncertainty has been identified.”
Group structure
- SMITHS NEWS TRADING LIMITED · parent
- Martin-Lavell Limited 100%
- Smiths News Distribution Limited 100%
- Connect 2U Limited 100%
- Dawson Media Direct Limited 100%
- Connect Logistics Limited 100%
- Connect News & Media Limited 100%
- Connect Parcel Freight Limited 100%
- Connect Parcels Limited 100%
- Connect Services Limited 100%
- Smiths News Instore Limited 100%
- Connect Specialist Distribution Group Limited 100%
- Pass My Parcel Limited 100%
- Dawson Media Direct GmbH 100%
Significant events
- “During the period, £5.4m was recovered from the administrators in final settlement of the claim, which was £3.7m higher than expected, and therefore released and reported as an adjusting item on the same basis as previous impairment losses and reversals recognised during the prior periods.”
- “Other potential liabilities that could crystallise are in respect of the previous assignment of a lease where the liability could revert to the Company if the lessee defaulted.”
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
3 active · 41 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MARRINER, Stuart Steven | Secretary | 2011-09-01 | — | — |
| BUNTING, Jonathan Michael | Director | 2010-09-01 | Feb 1972 | British |
| CLAY, Richard Henry Arden | Director | 2026-02-02 | Feb 1977 | British |
Show 41 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHARLTON, Mark Hopwood | Secretary | 2006-09-06 | 2011-08-31 |
| HOUGHTON, Ian | Secretary | 1998-08-01 | 2006-09-06 |
| RULE, Christopher Stanley, Mr. | Secretary | — | 1998-08-01 |
| BAKER, Paul Martin | Director | 2021-12-01 | 2025-11-21 |
| BAMFORD, Peter Richard | Director | 1995-11-01 | 1997-04-11 |
| BAUERNFEIND, David Gregory | Director | 2016-10-01 | 2018-06-12 |
| BURKE, Simon Paul | Director | 1995-11-01 | 1996-11-01 |
| CASHMORE, Mark Richard | Director | 2006-09-06 | 2018-08-31 |
| CHARLTON, Mark Hopwood | Director | 2006-11-01 | 2011-08-31 |
| COCKBURN, William | Director | 1995-11-01 | 1997-10-01 |
| ELSON, Edward Elliot | Director | — | 1993-12-08 |
| FIELD, Malcolm, Sir | Director | — | 1995-12-31 |
| GILES, Alan James | Director | 1995-11-01 | 1998-03-27 |
| GRACE, Anthony Liam | Director | 2018-10-01 | 2021-11-30 |
| GRESHAM, Nicholas John | Director | 2010-09-01 | 2016-10-01 |
| HAMILL, Keith | Director | 1996-07-01 | 2000-05-31 |
| HANCOCK, John Michael | Director | 1995-11-01 | 1999-01-25 |
| HANDOVER, Richard Gordon | Director | 1995-11-01 | 2003-11-04 |
| HARDIE, Charles Jeremy Mawdesley | Director | — | 1999-01-25 |
| HELY HUTCHINSON, Timothy Mark | Director | 2001-12-04 | 2004-09-25 |
| HODSON, Beverley Cliffe | Director | 1997-06-17 | 2001-03-23 |
| HONEYMAN, Stanley Holmes | Director | — | 1992-10-20 |
| HORNBY, Simon Michael, Sir | Director | — | 1994-01-29 |
| HOUGHTON, Ian | Director | 1999-01-25 | 2003-08-31 |
| HUMPHREY, Alan John | Director | 2006-06-23 | 2010-08-31 |
| LUPO, Lawrence Patrick | Director | 1994-11-15 | 1999-01-25 |
| MORGAN, Janet Patricia, Doctor | Director | — | 1995-10-17 |
| NAPIER, John Alexander | Director | — | 1996-08-31 |
| ORR, John Carmichael | Director | 1993-04-20 | 1999-01-25 |
| RENWICK, Richard John | Director | 2012-11-07 | 2018-01-01 |
| ROBERTS, David John Marling | Director | — | 1996-06-27 |
| SCARDINO, Marjorie Morris, Dame | Director | 1994-06-21 | 1999-01-25 |
| SMITH, Philip Reginald, The Honourable | Director | — | 1996-07-01 |
| STEWART, Alan James | Director | 2005-03-03 | 2006-09-06 |
| SWANN, Kathryn Elizabeth | Director | 2003-11-04 | 2006-09-06 |
| TAYLOR, John Martin | Director | 1993-04-20 | 1998-03-31 |
| TROUGHTON, Peter John Charles | Director | — | 1995-07-31 |
| WARREN, John Anthony | Director | 2000-09-01 | 2005-03-03 |
| WIGGLESWORTH, Lloyd John | Director | 1998-04-14 | 2001-10-17 |
| WILMOT-SITWELL, Peter Sacheverell | Director | — | 1996-05-01 |
| WINDLESHAM, David James George Hennessy, Lord | Director | — | 1995-10-17 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
| Name | Kind | Nature of control | Notified | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smiths News Holdings Limited | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100%, Voting 75–100%, Appoints directors | 2016-04-06 | Ceased 2023-03-13 |
| Smiths News Holdings Limited | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100%, Voting 75–100%, Appoints directors | 2016-04-06 | Active |
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 320 total filings
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-04 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2026-01-13 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2026-01-09 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2025-11-25 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2025-04-17 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2025-02-04 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2024-02-22 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2024-02-02 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2023-04-17 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2023-03-14 | PSC05 | persons-with-significant-control | Change to a person with significant control | |
| 2023-03-13 | PSC07 | persons-with-significant-control | Cessation of a person with significant control | |
| 2023-02-13 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2023-02-06 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2022-02-16 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2021-12-14 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2021-12-01 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2021-11-30 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2021-10-29 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2021-04-26 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2021-02-12 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with updates |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 4
- Capital events
- 0
- Officers appointed
- 1
- Officers resigned
- 1
last 12 months
last 24 months
last 12 months
last 12 months
Direct counts from the register. No score, no rating — see the Filing timeline for the underlying events.
Year-on-year
FY2024 → FY2025 · period ending 2025-08-30 vs 2024-08-31
-
Turnover
-3.7%
£1,098,200,000 £1,057,400,000
-
Cash
-39.6%
£5,300,000 £3,200,000
-
Net assets
-88.5%
£359,700,000 £41,300,000
-
Employees
-3.6%
1,450 1,398
-
Operating profit
+2.5%
£39,400,000 £40,400,000
-
Profit before tax
+10.9%
£40,300,000 £44,700,000
-
Wages
+4.1%
£38,700,000 £40,300,000
Each % is (latest − prior) ÷ |prior| for the line item as filed. The comparison is only shown when the latest and prior accounts cover broadly equal-length periods — short or long stubs (typical around incorporation or a year-end change) are suppressed rather than misrepresented. Lines a company doesn't report are omitted. About these numbers