Rentokil Initial (NYSE:RTO) Cut to Strong Sell at Zacks Research

Zacks Research cut shares of Rentokil Initial (NYSE:RTO) from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a report released on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other analysts have also recently commented on RTO. Bank of America upgraded shares of Rentokil Initial from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $34.00 price target for the company in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Rentokil Initial in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Rentokil Initial in a report on Friday, November 21st. Morgan Stanley raised Rentokil Initial from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered Rentokil Initial from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $34.00.

Rentokil Initial Stock Down 0.3%

NYSE RTO opened at $31.90 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $31.35 and its 200-day moving average is $28.33. The company has a current ratio of 1.12, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.79. Rentokil Initial has a 12-month low of $19.60 and a 12-month high of $33.46.

Institutional Trading of Rentokil Initial

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of RTO. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its holdings in 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 buying an additional 802 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in 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 purchasing an additional 534 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Rentokil Initial in the 4th quarter valued at $39,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 1,089 shares in the last quarter. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc increased its stake 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 purchasing an additional 690 shares during the last quarter. 9.91% of the stock is currently 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.