Rentokil Initial (LON:RTO) Stock Crosses Above 200-Day Moving Average – Here’s Why

Rentokil Initial plc (LON:RTO) shares passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 430.42 and traded as high as GBX 467.60. Rentokil Initial shares last traded at GBX 461.80, with a volume of 14,945,346 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

RTO has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on Rentokil Initial from GBX 540 to GBX 550 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. Stifel Nicolaus reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a GBX 390 price objective on shares of Rentokil Initial in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. UBS Group upgraded Rentokil Initial from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their target price for the company from GBX 430 to GBX 540 in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Citigroup raised their price target on Rentokil Initial from GBX 550 to GBX 575 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, March 16th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Rentokil Initial has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of GBX 461.43.

Rentokil Initial Stock Down 1.4%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 111.54, a current ratio of 1.16 and a quick ratio of 1.76. The stock has a market cap of £11.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.56 and a beta of 0.49. The firm’s 50-day moving average is GBX 462.20 and its 200 day moving average is GBX 430.42.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Sally Johnson acquired 2,676 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of GBX 483 per share, for a total transaction of £12,925.08. 2.82% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Rentokil Initial Company Profile

Rentokil Initial plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides route-based services in North America, the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, Asia, the Pacific, and internationally. It offers a range of pest control services for rodents, and flying and crawling insects, as well as other forms of wildlife management for commercial customers. The company provides hygiene services, including the provision and maintenance of products, such as soap and hand sanitizer dispensers, hand dryers, air care and purification, cubicle and surface sanitizers, feminine hygiene units, toilet paper dispensers, and floor protection mats.