London, February 10, 2026, 08:16 GMT — Regular session
Reckitt Benckiser Group RKT.L ticked up 0.1% to 6,316 pence by 0816 GMT, following a close at 6,310 pence. Shares have shifted between 6,294 and 6,330 so far in the session.
The stock barely budged, but the real focus is on what’s next for Reckitt. The company is lining up a special dividend—235 pence a share, as promised—aimed at returning roughly £1.6 billion. Investors are eyeing Feb. 20 for that payout.
Investors are also looking ahead to next month. Reckitt is set to report full-year numbers on March 5, with an investor presentation scheduled for 0830 GMT at the London Stock Exchange.
Shares remain in flux as the cash return process works through. Reckitt executed a 24-for-25 share consolidation on Feb. 2, reporting 674,005,752 ordinary shares in issue at that point and total voting rights standing at 644,753,406.
After selling its Essential Home business to Advent International, Reckitt kept a 30% equity stake in the unit; the company reported the transaction closed on Dec. 31.
Management’s hitting the circuit again before the dividend payout. Reckitt confirmed CEO Kris Licht and CFO Shannon Eisenhardt are slated to speak at the CAGNY conference on Feb. 19. A live webcast runs from 1500 to 1545 GMT.
UK markets have been unsettled, with the FTSE 100 eking out a 0.16% rise on Monday. Gains failed to gather steam, held back by political jitters. “Political pressure is building on Starmer to resign,” noted Jefferies economist Mohit Kumar. Reuters
Reckitt shareholders right now are focused less on the dividend calculations, more on the company’s messaging. What they want: updates on pricing, volumes, brand investment, and hints about where demand stands in main markets. Unilever and Haleon usually come up as yardsticks in the UK staples sector.
There’s still legal cloud cover hanging over the stock, thanks to Mead Johnson, its infant formula arm. Reckitt faces lawsuits in the U.S. claiming it didn’t do enough to warn about necrotizing enterocolitis, a life-threatening intestinal condition that strikes some premature infants. The company has already said it plans to appeal after a court decision paved the way for a fresh trial in one lawsuit.
