Rentokil Initial (NYSE:RTO) Downgraded to “Hold” Rating by Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Rentokil Initial (NYSE:RTO) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note published on Sunday morning.

Several other research analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. Bank of America raised Rentokil Initial from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $34.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Thursday, December 18th. Rothschild & Co Redburn raised Rentokil Initial from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Zacks Research downgraded Rentokil Initial from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. Oppenheimer raised their price target on Rentokil Initial from $30.00 to $35.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Finally, UBS Group upgraded Rentokil Initial from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $34.50.

Rentokil Initial Trading Up 0.0%

Shares of RTO stock opened at $32.79 on Friday. Rentokil Initial has a 1 year low of $19.60 and a 1 year high of $33.47. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $31.56 and its 200-day moving average is $29.34.

Rentokil Initial Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 19th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be paid a $0.412 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 10th. This represents a dividend yield of 266.0%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Rentokil Initial

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its stake in Rentokil Initial by 222.2% in the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 1,163 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 802 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its stake in shares of Rentokil Initial by 76.5% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,232 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring 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 in the 4th quarter valued at about $39,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Rentokil Initial by 171.0% in the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,726 shares of the company’s stock valued at $43,000 after acquiring an additional 1,089 shares during the period. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc raised its position in shares of Rentokil Initial by 53.8% in the 3rd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 1,972 shares of the company’s stock valued at $50,000 after acquiring an additional 690 shares during the period. 9.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.