Rentokil Initial (NYSE:RTO) Lowered to “Underperform” Rating by Sanford C. Bernstein

Rentokil Initial (NYSE:RTO) was downgraded by equities researchers at Sanford C. Bernstein from a “market perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a report issued on Thursday,Finviz reports.

Separately, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Rentokil Initial in a research report on Friday, March 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy”.

Rentokil Initial Stock Performance

Shares of RTO stock opened at $23.13 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a current ratio of 1.04. Rentokil Initial has a 52 week low of $19.60 and a 52 week high of $34.07. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $22.45 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $24.35. The company has a market capitalization of $11.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 7.95 and a beta of 0.96.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Rentokil Initial

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of RTO. Keystone Financial Services bought a new stake in Rentokil Initial in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $236,000. ABS Direct Equity Fund LLC boosted its position in Rentokil Initial by 28.1% during the fourth quarter. ABS Direct Equity Fund LLC now owns 160,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,051,000 after purchasing an additional 35,100 shares during the period. Stephens Inc. AR increased its holdings in shares of Rentokil Initial by 6.1% in the fourth quarter. Stephens Inc. AR now owns 431,185 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,918,000 after purchasing an additional 24,699 shares during the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC bought a new stake in shares of Rentokil Initial during the 4th quarter worth about $257,000. Finally, Pacifica Capital Investments LLC acquired a new position in Rentokil Initial in the 4th quarter valued at about $4,894,000. 9.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.