Reckitt Benckiser Group plc (LON:RKT) Given Average Recommendation of "Hold" by Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts hold a neutral view: Four of seven brokerages rate Reckitt Benckiser Group “Hold,” while three recommend buying; the average 12-month price target is GBX 6,121.71.
• Shares opened at GBX 5,100, with the stock trading between a one-year low of GBX 3,866 and high of GBX 6,522.92. The company has a £32.39 billion market capitalization and a P/E ratio of 11.55.
• Reckitt reported quarterly earnings of GBX 101.40 per share, alongside a 42.87% return on equity and 21.09% net margin. Insiders purchased 1,029 shares worth approximately $21.4 million over the past three months.

Reckitt Benckiser Group plc (LON:RKT - Get Free Report) has been given an average rating of "Hold" by the seven brokerages that are covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and three have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is GBX 6,121.71.

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a GBX 5,900 target price on shares of Reckitt Benckiser Group in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "hold" rating and set a GBX 5,400 price objective on shares of Reckitt Benckiser Group in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a "sector perform" rating and issued a GBX 6,200 price objective on shares of Reckitt Benckiser Group in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Berenberg Bank raised their target price on shares of Reckitt Benckiser Group from GBX 5,179 to GBX 5,352 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th.

Reckitt Benckiser Group Stock Performance

Shares of RKT opened at GBX 5,100 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 179.24, a quick ratio of 0.46 and a current ratio of 0.59. The stock has a 50-day moving average of GBX 5,067.22 and a two-hundred day moving average of GBX 5,145.53. The stock has a market cap of £32.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.55, a P/E/G ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 0.26. Reckitt Benckiser Group has a one year low of GBX 3,866 and a one year high of GBX 6,522.92.

Reckitt Benckiser Group (LON:RKT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The company reported GBX 101.40 earnings per share for the quarter. Reckitt Benckiser Group had a return on equity of 42.87% and a net margin of 21.09%. As a group, research analysts predict that Reckitt Benckiser Group will post 331.2110727 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Shannon Eisenhardt acquired 432 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 12th. The stock was acquired at an average price of £432 per share, with a total value of £186,624. Also, insider Marybeth Hays acquired 340 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 1st. The stock was bought at an average cost of GBX 4,585 per share, with a total value of £15,589. In the last three months, insiders have purchased 1,029 shares of company stock valued at $21,416,350. Company insiders own 0.45% of the company's stock.

Reckitt Benckiser Group Company Profile

At Reckitt, we protect, heal and nurture. We are the company behind some of the world's best known and most trusted Health and Hygiene consumer brands. Delivering for a cleaner, healthier world requires strong brands with a global footprint. From Dettol, Lysol, Durex, Finish, Harpic and Vanish, Mucinex, Nurofen, Gaviscon, Veet and Strepsils, consumers love and rely on our brands to care for their families, as they have done for over 200 years. We use our scientific expertise and deep human understanding to develop solutions to help people improve their lives – that is why over 30 million Reckitt products are sold each day worldwide. At Reckitt, we're all making a real difference to people all over the world, every day.

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