$RKT.L

3 stories mentioning RKT.L

Every FINWIRES story that references RKT.L, newest first.

FTSE 100 Falls Amid Ceasefire Extension; UK Inflation Rate Rises

London's FTSE 100 was downbeat on Wednesday, closing 0.21% lower, after the US extended its ceasefire with Iran, while the UK inflation matched expectations in March."In the Middle East conflict, Trump extended the ceasefire indefinitely just before its expiry after Iran refused further negotiations due to unreasonable US demands. This marks a U-turn in tone, as Trump had earlier ruled out an extension and hinted at military action. With Iran reportedly not requesting the ceasefire and the Strait of Hormuz issue still unresolved, Iran appears to hold the upper hand at present," Danske Bank said.In economic news back home, Britain's annual inflation rate climbed to 3.3% in March from 3% in February, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. The latest reading aligned with the consensus estimate."Surging petrol prices explained all of the rise in CPI inflation from 3.0% yoy in February to 3.3% yoy in March, as forecasters expected," Berenberg said. "Away from energy prices inflation behaved well, as shown by the unexpected drop in the core inflation rate from 3.2% yoy to 3.1% yoy (Bloomberg consensus 3.2%). We doubt that CPI inflation will stay above 3% for much longer. Although petrol prices rose further in April, the resulting upward pressure on the headline rate should be more than offset by government intervention and helpful base effects."In corporate news, distribution and outsourcing group Bunzl (BNZL.L) gained 2.12% to become one of the biggest gainers on the blue-chip index after affirming its 2026 revenue guidance while logging a 1.5% revenue growth at constant exchange rates for the first quarter."Reassurance from BNZL's Q1 update with the FY26 outlook reaffirmed and ongoing confidence in the prospect for an M&A pick up in FY26, which is key to the BNZL investment case in our view," RBC Capital Markets said. "We envisage a small outperformance vs. the sector today."Consumer goods giant Reckitt Benckiser (RKT.L), down 4.60%, was the FTSE 100's second-worst performer after group net revenue for the first quarter declined year over year to 3.25 billion pounds sterling from 3.68 billion pounds."Core Reckitt drove a miss on Q1 growth performance, with the biggest miss coming from Emerging Markets," RBC said in another note. "Despite the softer-than-expected performance and the current uncertainty arising from the war in the Middle East, the company has maintained its FY26 Core Reckitt [like-for-like] growth guidance (+4-5%) as the company expect to benefit from the reset of the cold & flu season and continue strong performance in Emerging Markets."

FTSE 100$BNZL.L$RKT.L

US Markets54d ago

Reckitt Shares Slump as Weak Cold, Flu Season Hits First-quarter Revenue

Reckitt Benckiser Group (RKT.L) shares slipped over 5% in London by Wednesday midday, as the company's first-quarter revenue was weighed down by headwinds, including a sustained low illness rate during the cold and flu season.For the three months ended March 31, the UK-based consumer goods giant's group IFRS net revenue fell 11.8% to 3.25 billion pounds sterling, driven by negative currency fluctuations and the loss of sales from the recently sold Essential Home business. The first-quarter performance was also impacted by persistent market headwinds in Europe and regional instability affecting Middle Eastern operations and supply.Meanwhile, like-for-like growth was 0.6% higher, bolstered by a 7.6% jump in net revenue in Emerging Markets. Growth in two of the group's biggest markets was partly offset by pressures in the Middle East, North Africa, Russia, and Pakistan region. On the other hand, Reckitt saw a 4.2% decline in Europe and a 0.9% dip in North America.Within this context, the company reiterated its guidance range of between 4% and 5% for Core Reckitt's full-year 2026 like-for-like revenue growth. Management anticipates that a normalized cold and flu cycle and a pipeline of new products will provide the lift needed to counter headwinds from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.Should oil average $110 per barrel through year-end, Reckitt projects an increase in input costs ranging from 130 million pounds to 150 million pounds, though the company views the expense as "manageable." The group plans to offset the costs through supply chain efficiencies, hedging, and strategic pricing, while noting that sustained high commodity prices could eventually dampen consumer demand as household spending power tightens."We maintain our LFL net revenue guidance for 2026. This will be driven by sequential growth from our market-leading Powerbrands, as the season resets and we continue to launch superior innovations including Mucinex 12hr Cold and Fever, improved performance in Europe and continued strong growth across China, India and non-seasonal North America," Chief Executive Officer Kris Licht said.Analysts at RBC Capital Markets adopted a negative sentiment on Reckitt's update, noting a 280-basis-point shortfall in Emerging Markets growth relative to consensus, along with a lack of clarity regarding its margin outlook."Reckitt's FY guidance around margin remains vague 'maintaining our expectation for Group adj. operating profit margin, with the delivery of this weighted to H2'. H1 adj. operating profit margin is guided to be c.200 [basis points] lower yoy, albeit H2 margin should improve due to greater stranded cost mitigation, actions to offset commodity price inflation and the reset of cold & flu," the research firm wrote, adding that the company's sales outlook is "at the higher end of what we believe Reckitt can do, but we welcome the fact that Reckitt has avoided the sector default guidance of 4-6%."

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Research59d ago

Kepler Cheuvreux Upgrades Reckitt Benckiser to Buy, Reduces PT

Kepler Cheuvreux on Friday upgraded British consumer goods company Reckitt Benckiser Group (RKT.L) to buy from hold and reduced its price target to 60.00 pounds sterling from 67.2745 pounds.(covers equity, commodity and economic research from major banks and research firms in North America, Asia and Europe. Research providers may contact us here: https://www..com/contact-us)

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