Rentokil Initial PLC $RTO Shares Sold by Independent Franchise Partners LLP

Key Points

• Independent Franchise Partners LLP has reduced its holdings in Rentokil Initial PLC by 43.8%, now owning 168,001 shares worth approximately $3.85 million.
• Several institutional investors, including Gates Capital Management Inc. and Alberta Investment Management Corp, have recently increased their holdings in Rentokil Initial, indicating mixed investor sentiment.
• Analysts have issued varied ratings for Rentokil Initial, with an overall average rating of "Moderate Buy", reflecting a divergence in market outlooks.

Independent Franchise Partners LLP cut its stake in Rentokil Initial PLC (NYSE:RTO - Free Report) by 43.8% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 168,001 shares of the company's stock after selling 131,148 shares during the quarter. Rentokil Initial comprises about 0.0% of Independent Franchise Partners LLP's portfolio, making the stock its 25th biggest position. Independent Franchise Partners LLP's holdings in Rentokil Initial were worth $3,847,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in RTO. MML Investors Services LLC boosted its stake in Rentokil Initial by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. MML Investors Services LLC now owns 90,687 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,296,000 after acquiring an additional 704 shares in the last quarter. Sit Investment Associates Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Rentokil Initial by 3.7% during the 1st quarter. Sit Investment Associates Inc. now owns 22,065 shares of the company's stock valued at $505,000 after purchasing an additional 787 shares during the last quarter. Whittier Trust Co. boosted its position in shares of Rentokil Initial by 8.0% in the 1st quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 13,043 shares of the company's stock worth $299,000 after purchasing an additional 967 shares in the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its stake in Rentokil Initial by 63.9% during the 4th quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 3,287 shares of the company's stock worth $83,000 after buying an additional 1,281 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group increased its position in Rentokil Initial by 668.3% during the 1st quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 1,598 shares of the company's stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 1,390 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 9.91% of the company's stock.

Rentokil Initial Stock Performance

RTO traded up $0.52 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $24.52. 1,945,011 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 805,947. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $24.03 and its 200 day simple moving average is $23.63. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.18 and a beta of 0.92. Rentokil Initial PLC has a 1-year low of $19.60 and a 1-year high of $32.41. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59.

Rentokil Initial Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 23rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be issued a $0.2738 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 15th. This represents a yield of 240.0%. Rentokil Initial's payout ratio is presently 29.80%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have weighed in on RTO. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Rentokil Initial in a report on Monday, July 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein lowered shares of Rentokil Initial from a "market perform" rating to an "underperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy".

About Rentokil Initial

Rentokil Initial plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides route-based services in North America, the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, Asia, the Pacific, and internationally. It offers a range of pest control services for rodents, and flying and crawling insects, as well as other forms of wildlife management for commercial customers.