WH Smith Plc : Holding(s) in Company

Released: 10/01/2012 RNS Number : 3152V WH Smith PLC 10 January 2012 TR-1: NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTEREST IN SHARESi 1. Identity of the issuer or the underlying issuer of existing shares to which voting rights are attached:ii WH SMITH PLC 2 Reason for the notification(please tick the appropriate box or boxes): An acquisition or disposal of voting rights Yes An acquisition or disposal of qualifying financial instruments which may result in the acquisition of shares already issued to which voting rights are attached An acquisition or disposal of instruments with similar economic effect to qualifying financial instruments An event changing the breakdown of voting rights Yes Other (please specify): 3. Full name of person(s) subject to the notification obligation:iii Artemis Investment Management LLP 4. Full name of shareholder(s) (if different from 3.):iv St. James's Place UK and International Income Unit Trust MT Total Return Fund SAUL BBC Pension Scheme Barclays UK Equity Income Fund Artemis IMP S2 Barclays UK Equity Income Fund Artemis IMP S1 Charities Pool (COL) Hampstead Heath (COL) Artemis Institutional Equity Income Fund P&O Pension Scheme City of London Pension A/c City of London Cash A/c Artemis Capital Fund Artemis Income Fund 5. Date of the transaction and date on which the threshold is crossed or reached:v 09 January 2012 6. Date on which issuer notified: 10 January 2012 7. Threshold(s) that is/are crossed or reached:vi, vii 5% 8. Notified details: A: Voting rights attached to sharesviii, ix Class/type of shares if possible using the ISIN CODE Situation previous to the triggering transaction Resulting situation after the triggering transaction Number of Shares Number of Voting Rights Number of shares Number of voting rights % of  voting rights x Direct Directxi Indirectxii Direct Indirect GB00B2PDGW16 7,007,163 7,007,163 6,849,281 6,849,281 4.99% B: Qualifying Financial Instruments Resulting situation after the triggering transaction Type of financial instrument Expiration datexiii Exercise/ Conversion Periodxiv Number of voting rights that may be acquired if the instrument is exercised/ converted. % of voting rights C: Financial Instruments with similar economic effect to Qualifying Financial Instrumentsxv, xvi Resulting situation after the triggering transaction Type of financial instrument Exercise price Expiration datexvii Exercise/ Conversion periodxviii Number of voting rights instrument refers to % of voting rightsxix, xx Nominal Delta Total (A+B+C) Number of voting rights Percentage of voting rights 6,849,281 4.99% 9. Chain of controlled undertakings through which the voting rights and/or the financial instruments are effectively held, if applicable:xxi Proxy Voting: 10. Name of the proxy holder: 11. Number of voting rights proxy holder will cease to hold: 12. Date on which proxy holder will cease to hold voting rights: 13. Additional information: 14. Contact name: Neil Buckley 15. Contact telephone number: 0131 718 0411 Note: Annex should only be submitted to the FSA not the issuer Annex: Notification of major interests in share A: Identity of the persons or legal entity subject to the notification obligation Full name (including legal form of legal entities) Artemis Investment Management LLP Contact address (registered office for legal entities) 42 Melville Street Edinburgh, EH3 7HA Phone number & email Other useful information (at least legal representative for legal persons) B: Identity of the notifier, if applicable Full name Contact address Phone number & email Other useful information (e.g. functional relationship with the person or legal entity subject to the notification obligation) C: Additional information For notes on how to complete form TR-1 please see the FSA website. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange END HOLSFMFLSFESESF