A few weeks ago we flagged the need for pest control and hygiene group Rentokil (RTO) to come up with a positive spin on its 2024 results or the outlook for 2025, but in the event there was little in this month's announcement to inspire confidence and the shares headed south once more, losing over 10% and taking them back the lows of last October.Revenue and earnings were broadly in line with...

The FTSE 100 lagged European peers on Thursday, after a perceived 'hawkish' rate cut by the European Central Bank drove the euro higher.Dan Coatsworth, investment analyst at AJ Bell said there wasn't any bad news to cause a minor sell-off.'It's just one of those days where investors reassessed their portfolios given the uncertain economic and geopolitical backdrop,' he noted.The FTSE 100 index...

Blue chip stocks in London and Paris were lower at midday Thursday, but up a notch in Frankfurt amid hopes of big investments from the incoming German government.The European Central Bank 'is expected to cut rates having been given a freer hand as inflationary pressures have eased,' AJ Bell's Russ Mould noted.The FTSE 100 index was down 82.84 points, 1.0%, at 8,673.00. The FTSE 250 was down...

Long-suffering shareholders in pest control and hygiene business Rentokil Initial (RTO) will be hoping the firm has good news when it reports its full-year results on 6 March.Over the past year, the shares have drifted sideways, in contrast to those of US peer Rollins (ROL:NYSE) which have chalked up a 24% gain.The gulf between the two is even wider over five years, with Rentokil shares having...

Trian confirms interest in RentokilAshtead chief executive flies the flagChapel Down director buys sharesUS activist investor Trian Fund Management, a vehicle controlled by billionaire Nelson Peltz, significantly raised its stake in UK pest control and hygiene business Rentokil Initial (RTO) earlier this month shortly after securing a board spot for its head of research.According to company...

European stocks were higher heading into Friday afternoon, shaking off disappointing UK data, while Paris shares were up after a new prime minister was named.The FTSE 100 index traded up 12.74 points, 0.2%, at 8,324.50. The FTSE 250 was up 23.30 points, 0.1%, at 20,972.34, and the AIM All-Share was down 1.59 points, 0.2%, at 735.97.The Cboe UK 100 was 0.2% higher at 835.95, the Cboe UK 250 was...

European markets were lifted on Thursday as the European Central Bank enacted its second consecutive rate cut following cool inflation prints from the eurozone.The FTSE 100 index closed up 56.06 points, or 0.7%, at 8,385.13. The FTSE 250 ended up 121.42 points, or 0.6%, at 21,100.92, while the AIM All-Share closed up 2.96 points, 0.4%, at 742.39.The Cboe UK 100 ended up 0.7% at 840.03, the...

Third-quarter trading mutedFull-year margin seen downPre-tax profit target maintainedLooking through the third-quarter update from pest control and hygiene group Rentokil Initial (RTO) there was little to write home about, but the lack of further downgrades combined with the fact the stock price was at multi-year lows probably explains today's positive market reaction.The shares opened up 34p...

Third-quarter sales miss forecastsCosts running above budgetShares slump to new year-lowFor investors in pest control and hygiene group Rentokil (RTO) this will be a day to forget after the firm released an unscheduled trading update warning profits would be lower than expected due to lower sales and higher costs.The shares were roiled, dropping 85p or almost 18% to a new 12-month low of 390p...

It seems wise to follow what the most successful investors have been buying and selling. US Investment managers are required to file quarterly 13F reports detailing their holdings which gives investors a small insight into what the gurus have been doing.Second-quarter filings for the end of June were released on 14 August and reveal some intriguing moves.Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-B:NYSE)...

Stock prices in London closed predominantly higher on Monday, joining European peers in a relatively upbeat finish, following news that US President Joe Biden will not stand for re-election.Amongst individual stocks, airlines slid after Ryanair's warning. Rentokil led the FTSE 100 higher, though, after former BT boss eyed a bid to take over the pest control firm.The FTSE 100 index closed up...

Jansen reportedly plotting takeoverConsolidation opportunity in fragmented US marketTurnaround potential at TerminixPest control and hygiene giant Rentokil Initial (RTO) topped the FTSE 100 leader board on Monday, with shares in the 'royal rat-catcher' scurrying 10% higher to 492.6p following weekend reports it is a bid target for private equity.According to The Times, former BT (BT.A) CEO...

The FTSE 100 started the week on the front foot, seemingly unfazed by President Joe Biden's decision to bow out of the re-election race, although the travel sector stalled after a Ryanair warning.The FTSE 100 index traded up 30.98 points, or 0.4%, at 8,186.70. The FTSE 250 was up 55.40 points, 0.3%, at 21,123.08, while the AIM All-Share was up just 0.29 of a point at 784.42.The Cboe UK 100 was...

Rentokil shares have laggedNelson Peltz a top-10 investorFirm can't grow its earningsPest control and hygiene firm Rentokil (RTO) has been one of the worst-performing stocks in the FTSE 100 this year, so it is no great surprise talk is circulating of an activist investor taking an interest in the business.Shares in the group jumped as much as 68p or 15% to 482p shortly after the open and were...

In the last few weeks, the drumbeat of companies complaining about the lowly valuation of their shares and floating the idea of moving to the US market has grown steadily louder.First there was miner Glencore (GLEN), then oil major Shell (SHEL) started making noises and most recently online retailer Ocado (OCDO) has come under shareholder pressure to move its listing.What is significant is...

Quarterly sales growth sluggishResults weighted to second halfShares erase recent rallyPest control and hygiene firm Rentokil (RTO) underwhelmed investors with its first-quarter trading update despite a more stable performance in its key North American market.The shares eased 13p or 3% to 433p, taking them to the bottom of the FTSE 100 leader board and eradicating almost all the gains since it...

Stock prices in London remained mixed at midday on Thursday, as the interest rate decision from the European Central Bank due later this afternoon continued to hold attention.The FTSE 100 index was down 19.30 points, 0.3%, at 7,660.01. The FTSE 250 was up 103.41 points, 0.5%, at 19,576.63, and the AIM All-Share was up 1.18 points, 0.2%, at 738.81.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.3% at 767.42, the...

Sales and profit jump 46% and 57% respectivelySynergies from integration of Terminix increased by $50 millionGood trading momentum continued into 2024Shares in Rentokil Initial (RTO) jumped 13% to 485p topping the FTSE leaderboard after the pest control and hygiene company said it expected higher cost savings from its $8 billion acquisition of Terminix.Also pleasing investors was news that the...

Normally, when a firm posts a 53% increase in quarterly revenues it doesn't result in its share price dropping by a third in a matter of days.However, in the case of FTSE 100 pest control and hygiene business Rentokil (RTO), the increase marked a slowdown from the first half growth rate of 70% and was accompanied by a warning over sales and margins in the group's key North American market.Most...

North American business slowingFull-year targets loweredUS rival Rollins outperformingPest control and hygiene firm Rentokil (RTO) disappointed investors with its third-quarter trading update and its weaker forecast for full-year revenues and margins in North America.The shares tumbled as much as much as 14% to a six-month low of 508p, making them the worst performer in the FTSE 100 index. ...