Sanford C. Bernstein Upgrades Rentokil Initial (NYSE:RTO) to “Market Perform”

Rentokil Initial (NYSE:RTO) was upgraded by research analysts at Sanford C. Bernstein from an “underperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday, MarketBeat Ratings reports.

Several other research firms have also recently issued reports on RTO. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on shares of Rentokil Initial in a research note on Tuesday, April 23rd. They set a “neutral” rating on the stock. UBS Group raised shares of Rentokil Initial from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, July 1st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $29.00.

Rentokil Initial Stock Down 0.8 %

Rentokil Initial stock opened at $31.57 on Monday. Rentokil Initial has a 12-month low of $23.39 and a 12-month high of $41.55. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $28.83 and its two-hundred day moving average is $28.10.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Rentokil Initial

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Iridian Asset Management LLC CT grew its holdings in Rentokil Initial by 151.0% in the fourth quarter. Iridian Asset Management LLC CT now owns 247,130 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,070,000 after purchasing an additional 148,656 shares during the period. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC purchased a new stake in Rentokil Initial in the first quarter valued at approximately $575,000. Schroder Investment Management Group grew its holdings in Rentokil Initial by 13.8% in the fourth quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 2,025,479 shares of the company’s stock valued at $57,949,000 after purchasing an additional 246,253 shares during the period. Brown Advisory Inc. grew its holdings in Rentokil Initial by 2.1% in the fourth quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 3,884,020 shares of the company’s stock valued at $111,122,000 after purchasing an additional 81,134 shares during the period. Finally, Motley Fool Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Rentokil Initial in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $12,490,000. 9.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Rentokil Initial

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.