How to buy DS Smith shares

DS Smith PLC (SMDS) is a publicly traded packaging and containers business based in the UK which employs around 29,500 staff. DS Smith is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and traded in sterling. Its current price of 340p is 14.3% down on its price a month ago (396.6p).

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Fees calculator for buying DS Smith shares with popular apps

Both exchange rates and share prices fluctuate in real time, so the costs estimated here should be considered as a guide only. They don't factor in spreads, which can be hard to pin down. Always refer to the platform itself for availability and pricing.

Quantity of shares

Platform	Finder score	Account fee	Min. initial deposit	Trade cost	Link
	4.39 ★★★★★	£0	$100	£3,434.09	Go to siteCapital at risk
	3.75 ★★★★★	0.12% per year	£0	£3,497.00	Go to siteCapital at risk
	4.3 ★★★★★	£0	£0	£3,417.00	Go to siteCapital at risk
	4.2 ★★★★★	£0	£1	£3,428.95	Go to siteCapital at risk
	4.34 ★★★★★	0% - 0.25%	£100	£3,417.00	Go to siteCapital at risk
	4.1 ★★★★★	£0	£0	N/A	Read reviewCapital at risk
	4.4 ★★★★★	£0	£0	£3,417.00	Read reviewCapital at risk

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Alternative ways to invest in DS Smith

• Via a fund
• Via a FTSE 100 ETF

Buying shares in just one company is generally considered a riskier bet than investing in a range of investments - AKA a "diversified portfolio". Experts generally recommend holding a mix of investments in specific assets and funds. Funds are ready-made portfolios of multiple companies' shares (potentially including DS Smith), and the idea is that drops in the value of one constituent company's share price might be offset by rises in others.

DS Smith is a major part of the London stock exchange, so it's included in many global funds and investment trusts, as well as tracker-style exchange traded funds (ETFs).

Icon	Fund	5-year performance	1-year performance (to October 2023)	Link to invest
	HSBC FTSE 100 (HUKX)	22.16%	5.39%	Capital at risk
	Vanguard FTSE 100 (VUKE)	22.05%	5.38%	Capital at risk
	iShares Core FTSE 100 (CUKX)	21.95%	5.37%	Invest with eToroCapital at risk
	Xtrackers FTSE 100 (XDUK)	21.88%	5.39%	Capital at risk
	Lyxor FTSE 100 (100D)	21.18%	5.23%	Capital at risk
	Invesco FTSE 100 (S100)	21.09%	5.32%	Capital at risk

Is it a good time to buy DS Smith stock?

Only you can make the decision on the time to leap... but here's some supporting information and analysis.

• Price graph
• Historical data
• Technical analysis

Invest in DS Smith shares

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Is DS Smith under- or over-valued?

Valuing a stock is incredibly difficult, and any metric has to be viewed as part of a bigger picture of overall performance. However, analysts commonly use some key metrics to help gauge value. Check out the DS Smith P/E ratio, PEG ratio and EBITDA

• P/E ratio
• DS Smith PEG ratio
• DS Smith EBITDA

Frequently asked questions

• Does DS Smith pay dividends?

  • Dividend yield
  • Forward yield
  • Payout ratio

  Dividend yield: 5.15% of stock value

  Forward annual dividend yield: 5.15% of stock value

  Dividend payout ratio: 44.59% of net profits

  DS Smith has recently paid out dividends equivalent to 5.15% of its share value annually.

  DS Smith has paid out, on average, around 44.59% of recent net profits as dividends. That has enabled analysts to estimate a "forward annual dividend yield" of 5.15% of the current stock value. This means that over a year, based on recent payouts (which are sadly no guarantee of future payouts), shareholders could enjoy a 5.15% return on their shares, in the form of dividend payments. In DS Smith's case, that would currently equate to about 18 per share.

  While DS Smith's payout ratio might seem fairly standard, it's worth remembering that it may be investing much of the rest of its net profits in future growth.

  The latest dividend was paid out to all shareholders who bought their shares by 13 December 2023 (the "ex-dividend date").

• What percentage of DS Smith is owned by insiders or institutions?

  Currently 3.378% of DS Smith shares are held by insiders and 81.044% by institutions.

• When does the fiscal year end for DS Smith?

  DS Smith's fiscal year ends in April.

• Where is DS Smith based?

  DS Smith's address is: 1 Paddington Square, London, United Kingdom, W2 1DL

• Have DS Smith's shares ever split?

  DS Smith's shares were split on a 2:1 basis on 6 November 1995. So if you had owned 1 share the day before before the split, the next day you'd have owned 2 shares. This wouldn't directly have changed the overall worth of your DS Smith shares – just the quantity. However, indirectly, the new 50% lower share price could have impacted the market appetite for DS Smith shares which in turn could have impacted DS Smith's share price.

• How to sell DS Smith shares

  It's as easy to sell DS Smith as it is to buy! Here's how to sell DS Smith shares that you already own.

  1. Open your investment app. If you've got one with desktop access, you can log in online
  2. Go to your portfolio. This should be in the main menu
  3. Find your shares. You may be able to search your portfolio
  4. Choose how many you'd like to sell. You'll be able to review the price and see how much you'll receive
  5. Sell your DS Smith shares. Your investment platform will let you know when your shares are sold

• Can you buy DS Smith shares with a debit card?

  Most dealing providers will let you use your debit card to top up your account and buy shares. The main ways are with a debit card, bank transfer or with Apple/Google Pay.

• What's the easiest way to buy DS Smith shares?

  The easiest way to get hold of some DS Smith shares is to sign up for a share trading app and place a market order or basic order. This type of order tells the platform that you're interested, so it'll try to execute it as quickly as it can. It could take some time for the order to go through, especially if there's a lot of volatility in DS Smith shares.

• Do you need to complete a W8-BEN form if you want to invest in DS Smith

  If you're investing in a US stock, you'll need to complete a W8-BEN form to minimise your tax liability. Whether these are automatically handled for you depends on your broker, so it would be a good idea to check with them directly.

• What is the key financial information for DS Smith?

  DS Smith financials

  Revenue TTM	£7.4 billion
  Operating margin TTM	8.94%
  Gross profit TTM	£587 million
  Return on assets TTM	4.39%
  Return on equity TTM	10.77%
  Profit margin	6.38%
  Book value	2.92p
  Market capitalisation more info button	£4.8 billion

  TTM: trailing 12 months