London, Jan 15, 2026, 09:37 GMT — Regular session
- Reckitt shares dipped in early London trading following RBC’s decision to downgrade its rating and slash the target price
- RBC highlighted doubts over 2026 margins and the lingering impact of the Mead Johnson litigation
- Investors are keeping an eye on a January 27 shareholder vote linked to a £1.6 billion special dividend
Shares of Reckitt Benckiser Group plc slipped Thursday, dropping 0.2% to 6,170 pence by mid-morning in London, following a downgrade from RBC Capital Markets. The broker flagged valuation concerns after the company sold its Essential Home unit. 1
The call comes at a tricky time for investors. Reckitt is seeking shareholder approval for a sizable one-off cash return and a share consolidation, even as the market awaits firmer guidance on profitability in 2026.
It’s crucial now since those two paths are diverging. A special dividend would deliver cash fast, yet “stranded costs” — overheads lingering after a sale — could squeeze margins until management adjusts the cost structure.
RBC analyst James Edwardes Jones flagged that the broker’s updated figures are “not the finished article,” pointing to missing guidance on margin expansion in 2026 post-Essential Home sale. He factored in a 60 basis point drop in EBIT margin — with one basis point equal to 0.01 percentage point — and included a £2 billion global settlement in his model for U.S. necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) claims tied to Mead Johnson. The first bellwether case is expected in February. 2
Reckitt disclosed another modest buyback, acquiring 48,660 shares on Jan. 14 at a volume-weighted average price of 6,162.77 pence. The company plans to hold these shares in treasury. The filing updates total voting rights to 671,991,359, the number investors rely on for UK disclosure rules. 3
The company plans a special dividend of 235 pence per share, totaling around £1.6 billion. It also proposes a 24-for-25 share consolidation to keep the share price roughly stable post-dividend. Shareholders will vote on the proposal at a general meeting on Jan. 27, with the dividend slated for payment on Feb. 20 if approved. 4
A consolidation essentially resets the share count: investors end up with fewer shares, but each one should carry a higher value, assuming everything else stays the same. Traders, however, keep an eye on potential snags—like shifts in index weightings, fund mandates, and how seamlessly the process unfolds.
The key “but” remains: none of the major uncertainties have been resolved. If stranded costs hit margins harder than anticipated, or if the NEC litigation takes a negative turn, the market’s perception of this as a defensive, cash-return play could shift sharply.
Investors will be watching closely for broker follow-up after RBC’s move while also tracking price action near the 6,200 pence mark, now aligned with RBC’s target.
Coming up next: the Jan. 27 shareholder meeting to vote on the special dividend and consolidation. Then there’s the February NEC bellwether case, which RBC says might shape settlement discussions. Both events lead up to the Feb. 20 payout date.
