Rentokil Initial (NYSE:RTO) Stock Rating Upgraded by Zacks Research

Key Points

• Zacks Research upgraded Rentokil Initial (NYSE:RTO) from a "strong sell" to a "hold", joining other recent analyst moves — including Rothschild & Co Redburn's upgrade to "neutral", Deutsche Bank's downgrade to "hold", Morgan Stanley's upgrade to "overweight", and Oppenheimer raising its target to $35.
• The stock opened at $33.82 and is trading near its 12‑month high of $34.67, while the consensus analyst view is a "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $34.50.

Rentokil Initial (NYSE:RTO - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Zacks Research from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Other equities research analysts have also issued reports about the company. Rothschild & Co Redburn upgraded Rentokil Initial from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Oppenheimer increased their target price on Rentokil Initial from $30.00 to $35.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut Rentokil Initial from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Rentokil Initial in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Rentokil Initial from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $34.50.

Rentokil Initial Stock Up 1.0%

NYSE:RTO opened at $33.82 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a current ratio of 1.16. Rentokil Initial has a 12 month low of $22.72 and a 12 month high of $34.67. The company's 50-day moving average price is $32.28 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $30.46.

Institutional Trading of Rentokil Initial

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd boosted 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 during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in shares of Rentokil Initial by 76.5% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,232 shares of the company's stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 534 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC bought a new stake in shares of Rentokil Initial during the fourth quarter worth approximately $39,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Rentokil Initial by 171.0% in the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,726 shares of the company's stock valued at $43,000 after buying an additional 1,089 shares during the period. Finally, V Square Quantitative Management LLC boosted its stake 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 acquiring an additional 639 shares during the last quarter. 9.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Rentokil Initial Company Profile

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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