London, Jan 25, 2026, 08:40 GMT — The market is closed.
Reckitt Benckiser Group plc shares dropped 1.57% on Friday, ending the day at 60.18 pounds. That trims the stock’s gain for the year so far to just 0.3%. The company behind Dettol and Durex still sports an 18.7% increase over the last 12 months but is trading roughly 3.4% below its 52-week high, according to London Stock Exchange data.
With markets closed for the weekend, focus shifts to Tuesday. Reckitt plans a shareholder meeting on Jan. 27, seeking approval for a special dividend and share consolidation tied to the sale of its Essential Home business.
A company circular reveals a special dividend of 235 pence per share—around £1.6 billion in total—alongside a 24-for-25 share consolidation. The record date is set for Jan. 30, with shares turning ex-dividend on Feb. 2. Payment should follow on Feb. 20, subject to shareholder approval.
Reckitt’s shares swung between 6,002 and 6,110 pence on Friday, closing at 6,018 pence, according to Yahoo Finance. That’s down 96 pence from Thursday’s finish, on a volume of about 1.27 million shares traded.
On Jan. 22, Reckitt bought back 49,250 shares at a volume-weighted average price of 6,089.71 pence. The group intends to keep the shares in treasury.
In the circular, chair Sir Jeremy Darroch announced that Reckitt intends to “return approximately £1.6 billion of excess capital” after completing the Essential Home sale to Advent International, while retaining a 30% equity stake. The board also backed a share consolidation to keep per-share metrics consistent following the cash distribution. Reckitt
A special dividend is a one-off payout on top of the usual dividend. The share consolidation works like a reverse split—cutting the number of shares but raising the price per share—to avoid a straightforward price drop once the cash is paid out. When the stock hits ex-dividend, new buyers don’t get that special dividend, and the price typically adjusts to reflect that.
The vote takes place as Reckitt nears the end of its second 2025 buyback tranche, scheduled to finish by Jan. 30. Up to £250 million has been earmarked for these repurchases.
The week could still hit snags. Should the vote fail, the whole timetable unravels, forcing investors to reassess the cash return plan. Even if the corporate actions go ahead as expected, the share price may not stay “broadly similar.” Reckitt also remains under pressure from its ongoing Mead Johnson infant formula lawsuit in the U.S. In March 2025, the company said a U.S. court ordered a new trial over the preterm formula case. Reuters
Traders are eyeing Tuesday’s 08:00 GMT meeting, along with the company’s statement set to drop soon after. Mark your calendars: Jan. 30 is the record date, Feb. 2 is when the ex-special dividend and share consolidation kick in, and Feb. 20 is the cash payment date—if shareholders give the green light.
