Reckitt Benckiser Group plc (LON:RKT) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Hold" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Seven brokers give Reckitt an average rating of "Hold" (four hold, three buy) with a 12‑month consensus price target of GBX 6,208.57.
• Several analysts (Deutsche Bank, Berenberg, Citigroup) have trimmed price targets after reports Reckitt had a slow start to the year as a weak cold & flu season materially hurt Q1 revenue, reducing near‑term upside.
• Shares opened at GBX 4,787, trading below the 50‑day (GBX 5,492.95) and 200‑day (GBX 5,806.69) moving averages; the company has a market cap of ~£30.8bn and a P/E of ~9.8.

Shares of Reckitt Benckiser Group plc (LON:RKT - Get Free Report) have been given an average rating of "Hold" by the seven research firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is GBX 6,208.57.

RKT has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price target on Reckitt Benckiser Group from GBX 5,500 to GBX 5,460 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 25th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a "sector perform" rating and issued a GBX 6,200 price target on shares of Reckitt Benckiser Group in a report on Thursday. Berenberg Bank reduced their price target on Reckitt Benckiser Group from GBX 7,000 to GBX 6,200 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "hold" rating and set a GBX 5,600 price objective on shares of Reckitt Benckiser Group in a report on Friday. Finally, Citigroup reduced their price objective on Reckitt Benckiser Group from GBX 7,000 to GBX 6,200 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday.

Reckitt Benckiser Group Trading Up 0.3%

Shares of LON RKT opened at GBX 4,787 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 108.83, a quick ratio of 0.46 and a current ratio of 0.85. The business's 50 day moving average price is GBX 5,492.95 and its 200-day moving average price is GBX 5,806.69. Reckitt Benckiser Group has a fifty-two week low of GBX 4,574 and a fifty-two week high of GBX 6,522.92. The company has a market cap of £30.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.84, a PEG ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 0.30.

Reckitt Benckiser Group (LON:RKT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported £122.58 earnings per share for the quarter. Reckitt Benckiser Group had a return on equity of 38.45% and a net margin of 25.23%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Reckitt Benckiser Group will post 331.2110727 earnings per share for the current year.

Key Stories Impacting Reckitt Benckiser Group

Here are the key news stories impacting Reckitt Benckiser Group this week:

• Neutral Sentiment: Jefferies reaffirmed a "hold" rating with a GBX 5,600 price target — the note signals no change in conviction from that broker, so mixed near-term impact. Digital Look
• Neutral Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a "sector perform" rating and GBX 6,200 target — another anchor suggesting brokers see limited upside at current levels. RBC Note
• Negative Sentiment: Citigroup cut its price target from GBX 7,000 to GBX 6,200 but kept a "buy" rating — a downward revision that reduces near-term upside expectations despite buy conviction. London Stock Exchange
• Negative Sentiment: Berenberg lowered its target from GBX 7,000 to GBX 6,200 while maintaining a "buy" — another PT cut that contributes to selling pressure. Digital Look
• Negative Sentiment: Press reports say Reckitt reported a slow start to the year and that a weak cold & flu season materially hit first‑quarter revenue — the operational miss is the primary negative catalyst pushing analysts to lower targets. Yahoo: Weak Cold/Flu Season Yahoo: Slow Start

About Reckitt Benckiser Group

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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