Rentokil Initial (NYSE:RTO) Rating Lowered to "Hold" at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded Rentokil Initial from a buy to a hold, adding to a mixed analyst outlook on the stock.
• Other recent ratings actions were also mixed: Zacks cut the shares to strong sell, Weiss reiterated hold, while Goldman Sachs upgraded Rentokil Initial to buy.
• The stock was trading around $30.43, near its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, and the consensus analyst target price stands at $34.50.

Rentokil Initial (NYSE:RTO - Get Free Report) was downgraded by Wall Street Zen from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report released on Monday.

A number of other brokerages also recently commented on RTO. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Rentokil Initial from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Monday, June 15th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Rentokil Initial in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Rentokil Initial from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, July 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $34.50.

Rentokil Initial Trading Up 0.1%

RTO opened at $30.43 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 1.16 and a quick ratio of 1.07. Rentokil Initial has a 1 year low of $22.77 and a 1 year high of $34.67. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $30.21 and a 200 day moving average price of $31.38.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its stake in shares of Rentokil Initial by 222.2% in the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 1,163 shares of the company's stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 802 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake in Rentokil Initial by 76.5% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,232 shares of the company's stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 534 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC acquired a new position in Rentokil Initial in the fourth quarter worth about $39,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC increased its holdings in Rentokil Initial by 84.5% in the first quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 1,395 shares of the company's stock valued at $44,000 after buying an additional 639 shares during the last quarter. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc increased its holdings in Rentokil Initial by 53.8% in the third quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 1,972 shares of the company's stock valued at $50,000 after buying an additional 690 shares during the last quarter. 9.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Rentokil Initial

Rentokil Initial PLC is a global business services company specializing in pest control, hygiene and workwear services. Headquartered in Crawley, West Sussex, United Kingdom, the company delivers outsourced solutions designed to protect people, preserve assets and enhance workplaces for both commercial and residential customers.

Under the Rentokil Pest Control brand, the company offers services ranging from routine inspections and treatment of insects, rodents and birds to specialised programmes for food manufacturing and healthcare environments.

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