W.H. SMITH & SONS HOLDINGS LIMITED
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Next accounts due
2026-09-30 (in 4mo)
Last filed for 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement due
2026-05-18 (this month)
Last made up 2025-05-04
Watchouts
None on the register
Cash
£2M
Latest balance sheet
Net assets
£9M
Equity attributable
Employees
6
Average over period
Profit before tax
£291K
Period ending 2024-12-31
Net assets
2-year trend · vs Basic Materials median
Accounts
2-year trend · latest reflected 2024-12-31
| Metric | Trend | 2023-12-31 | 2024-12-31 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | £135,000 | £200,000 | |
| Operating profit | £514,000 | -£145,000 | |
| Profit before tax | £547,000 | £291,000 | |
| Net profit | £427,000 | £84,000 | |
| Cash | £1,154,000 | £2,488,000 | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | £8,753,000 | £9,167,000 | |
| Net assets | £8,661,000 | £8,868,000 | |
| Equity | £8,661,000 | £8,868,000 | |
| Average employees | 6 | 6 | |
| Wages | £483,000 | £775,000 |
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 | 2023-12-31 | 2024-12-31 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating margin | 380.7% | -72.5% | |
| Net margin | 316.3% | 42.0% | |
| Return on capital employed | 5.9% | -1.6% | |
| Current ratio | 25.11x | 5.34x |
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 102
- Reporting scope
- Standalone (parent only)
- Auditor
- Cooper Parry Group Limited
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Affirmed
“In determining the going concern status of the company the directors have reviewed the company's current and forecast profitability, including consideration of the impact from the September 2025 cyber attack on JLR, and have a reasonable expectation that the company has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future.”
Group structure
- W.H. SMITH & SONS HOLDINGS LIMITED · parent
- WHS Plastics Limited 100%
- WHS Plastics Runcorn Ltd 100%
- WHS Plastics Egypt S.A.E 98%
- WHS Tools Limited 100%
- WHS Electron Limited 100%
- W.H. Smith & Sons (Tools) Limited 100%
- WHS Technical Solutions Ltd 100%
- Rodor AB 100%
- WHS Central Services Ltd 100%
- WHS Plastics Pickering Ltd 100%
- WHS Plastics Larkhall Ltd 100%
- WHS Canning Brett Ltd 100%
- WHS Plastics Brierley Hill Ltd 100%
- WHS Plastics Stamford Bridge Ltd 100%
Significant events
- “The impact of the economic matters that have continued throughout 2024, in particular rising inflation, on the regional and global economy remains uncertain and is difficult to assess in terms of duration and severity.”
- “Cyber attacks - the company remains exposed to the risk of cyber attacks and supply chain disruption, both of which could materially impact operational continuity and financial performance. Cyber threats continue to evolve in scale and sophistication, creating potential vulnerabilities across our IT systems, data assets, and third-party interfaces. We maintain robust controls, including continuous monitoring, employee training, and incident response planning.”
- “Included within debtors are amounts owed by group undertakings of £4,947,000. Of this amount, £4,756,000 relates to debt which was due in May 2028. As part of a group restructure which took place in April 2025, this loan and associated accrued interest was settled been classified as due under one year as at the balance sheet date.”
- “On 15 April 2025 WHS Tools Limited, WHS Electron Limited and W.H. Smith & Sons (Tools) Limited were dissolved.”
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
6 active · 9 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DORÉ, Mathieu Andre Barthelemy | Director | 2024-09-06 | May 1975 | French |
| LOWE, Antony Stephen Hunter | Director | 2025-07-28 | Feb 1964 | British |
| NICHOLSON, Paul Andrew | Director | 2024-09-06 | Jul 1964 | British |
| SMITH, Bradley James | Director | 2012-10-24 | May 1985 | British |
| SMITH, Clinton Gary | Director | 1997-11-13 | Nov 1953 | British |
| VERRALL, Stephen John | Director | 2025-07-07 | Jan 1960 | British |
Show 9 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| GRIFFITHS, Gareth Hywel | Secretary | 1997-09-18 | 1997-11-13 |
| JONES, Alan Martin | Secretary | 1997-11-13 | 2005-12-22 |
| NICHOLDS, David | Secretary | 1997-07-29 | 1997-09-18 |
| RUSHTON, Peter Jonathan | Secretary | 2006-01-23 | 2021-02-26 |
| FARRELL, Andrew Peter | Director | 1997-07-29 | 1997-11-13 |
| GRIFFITHS, Gareth Hywel | Director | 1997-09-18 | 1997-11-13 |
| NICHOLDS, David | Director | 1997-07-29 | 1997-09-18 |
| SMITH, Frederick Henry | Director | 1997-11-13 | 2025-01-13 |
| SMITH, Jason Harvey | Director | 1997-11-13 | 2019-10-30 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
| Name | Kind | Nature of control | Notified | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whs Holdco 1 Limited | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100%, Voting 75–100%, Appoints directors | 2018-05-25 | Active |
| Mr Clinton Gary Smith | Individual | Shares 50–75% | 2016-04-06 | Ceased 2018-05-25 |
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 106 total filings
Material constitutional events — rename, articles re-file, resolution
- 2024-06-25 MA Memorandum articles
- 2024-06-25 RESOLUTIONS Resolution
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-12-12 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2025-08-04 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2025-07-28 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2025-05-25 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with updates | |
| 2025-01-20 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2024-12-11 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2024-09-12 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2024-09-12 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2024-09-06 | AA01 | accounts | Change account reference date company previous shortened | |
| 2024-06-26 | SH01 | capital | Capital allotment shares | |
| 2024-06-25 | MA | incorporation | Memorandum articles | |
| 2024-06-25 | RESOLUTIONS | resolution | Resolution | |
| 2024-06-25 | SH02 | capital | Capital alter shares subdivision | |
| 2024-05-13 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2024-02-06 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2023-05-19 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2023-04-27 | MR04 | mortgage | Mortgage satisfy charge full | |
| 2023-02-03 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2022-05-24 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2022-05-04 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 4
- Capital events
- 2
- Officers appointed
- 2
- Officers resigned
- 0
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
FY2023 → FY2024 · period ending 2024-12-31 vs 2023-12-31