Rentokil Initial (LON:RTO) Trading 9.1% Higher - Time to Buy?

Key Points

• Rentokil Initial's stock price rose by 9.1% to GBX 377.98 ($4.99) after trading volume exceeded average levels, indicating strong investor interest.
• Analysts have upgraded their forecasts for Rentokil Initial, with Deutsche Bank setting a price target of GBX 435 ($5.75) and Royal Bank of Canada maintaining an "outperform" rating with a GBX 440 ($5.81) target.
• Insider buying activity was noted, as Sally Johnson acquired 3,567 shares at an average price of GBX 351 ($4.64), which reflects confidence from company insiders in the stock's future performance.

Shares of Rentokil Initial plc (LON:RTO - Get Free Report) rose 9.1% on Friday . The stock traded as high as GBX 387.30 ($5.15) and last traded at GBX 377.98 ($5.02). Approximately 13,367,716 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 30% from the average daily volume of 10,266,272 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 346.60 ($4.61).

Analyst Ratings Changes

RTO has been the topic of several analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on Rentokil Initial from GBX 425 ($5.65) to GBX 435 ($5.78) and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, July 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a GBX 440 ($5.85) target price on shares of Rentokil Initial in a research note on Friday.

Rentokil Initial Price Performance

The company has a market cap of £8.92 billion, a PE ratio of 22.83, a P/E/G ratio of 0.56 and a beta of 0.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 113.35, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 1.76. The company has a 50-day moving average price of GBX 353.11 and a two-hundred day moving average price of GBX 358.90.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Sally Johnson acquired 3,567 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, June 2nd. The shares were purchased at an average price of GBX 351 ($4.67) per share, for a total transaction of £12,520.17 ($16,640.31). Corporate insiders own 0.32% of the company's stock.

Rentokil Initial Company Profile

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.