London, February 4, 2026, 09:20 GMT — Regular session
- Shares of Reckitt Benckiser edged up roughly 0.4% in early London trading
- The company has finished a portion of its £1 billion share buyback and carried out a share consolidation
- Investors are eyeing next month’s special dividend payout alongside the full-year results
Reckitt Benckiser Group plc shares edged up 0.4% to 6,154 pence during early London trading on Wednesday, tracking the stronger FTSE 100 index. (Investing)
The stock is reacting to a wave of shareholder returns this week, including a special dividend and a “share consolidation” — a reverse split that reduces the share count but boosts the price per share. Reckitt said the move aims to maintain investors’ proportional ownership largely unchanged following the payout. (Eurolandir)
Reckitt announced its new shares began trading at 8 a.m. on Feb. 2, following shareholder approval at a general meeting. The company now has 674,005,752 shares outstanding, with 29,252,346 held in treasury, resulting in 644,753,406 total voting rights. (Investegate)
The company confirmed it has wrapped up the second tranche of its £1 billion share buyback scheme announced last year. Reckitt purchased 3,461,470 shares from Oct. 22 through Jan. 28, paying an average of £59.46 per share. These shares are now held in treasury. (TradingView)
The corporate moves barely stirred the market early this week. Reckitt’s shares climbed 1.1% to 6,159 pence in London on Monday and have gained roughly 16% in the past year, per Alliance News. (London South East)
For investors, the details count. Treasury shares lack voting rights, and whether a company cancels or holds onto repurchased stock can shift per-share figures over time, even if the business itself stays the same.
Reckitt’s next major event is just around the corner. Their financial calendar lists full-year 2025 results for March 5, with a first-quarter trading update set for April 22. (Reckitt)
Still, the capital return won’t provide much protection. A careful view on demand, pricing, or costs in the earnings report will probably carry more weight than the share-count calculations, especially now that the buyback tranche has wrapped up.
