Reckitt Benckiser Group (LON:RKT) Stock Price Up 0.2% - Time to Buy?

Key Points

• Reckitt Benckiser shares rose 0.2% to GBX 5,158, although trading volume was 96% below the average session volume.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with three Buy ratings and four Holds; the consensus rating is Hold, while the average price target of GBX 6,121.71 implies potential upside.
• The company reported quarterly EPS of GBX 101.40, a 21.09% net margin and 42.87% return on equity. Insiders purchased 1,029 shares in the past three months, but the business carries elevated leverage with a debt-to-equity ratio of 179.24.

Reckitt Benckiser Group plc (LON:RKT - Get Free Report)'s share price shot up 0.2% during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as GBX 5,214 and last traded at GBX 5,158. 845,985 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 96% from the average session volume of 23,578,658 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 5,150.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on RKT shares. Berenberg Bank upped their price target on Reckitt Benckiser Group from GBX 5,179 to GBX 5,352 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. 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 report on Wednesday, July 29th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued 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. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "hold" rating and set a GBX 5,400 target price on shares of Reckitt Benckiser Group in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of GBX 6,121.71.

Reckitt Benckiser Group Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of £32.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 179.24, a current ratio of 0.59 and a quick ratio of 0.46. The firm's 50-day moving average is GBX 5,056.15 and its 200-day moving average is GBX 5,154.73.

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

Insider Transactions at Reckitt Benckiser Group

In related news, insider Deepak Nath bought 257 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were bought at an average cost of GBX 4,650 per share, for a total transaction of £11,950.50. Also, insider Shannon Eisenhardt purchased 432 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, June 12th. The shares were bought at an average cost of £432 per share, with a total value of £186,624. Insiders purchased 1,029 shares of company stock worth $21,416,350 in the last three months. Corporate 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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