London, 12 February 2026, 09:20 GMT — Regular session
Reckitt Benckiser Group plc RKT.L saw its shares hold steady in early London trading Thursday, inching up around 0.1% to 6,318 pence. So far, the stock has fluctuated between 6,234p and 6,350p during the session.
The muted move follows investors adjusting to data revealing Britain’s economy expanded just 0.1% in Q4, falling short of a Reuters poll forecast of 0.2%. “There were some tentative signs that sentiment turned a corner,” said Luke Bartholomew, deputy chief economist at Aberdeen, referring to post-budget surveys. Reuters
Consumer staples followed Unilever’s lead after the Dove maker forecasted 2026 underlying sales growth at the low end of its 4% to 6% target. Despite unveiling a fresh €1.5 billion buyback and posting 4.2% underlying sales growth in Q4, Unilever’s shares slipped 1% in early trading.
The FTSE 100 hit a new high on Wednesday, closing at 10,472.11 points. Strong performances from housebuilders and energy shares pushed the index up, as investors braced for upcoming macroeconomic data.
Reckitt’s focus is on a one-off cash return linked to the Essential Home divestment. The company plans to pay out around £1.6 billion through a special dividend of 235 pence per share, set for Feb. 20, alongside a 24-for-25 share consolidation. Since Feb. 2, shares have been trading ex-dividend, so anyone buying after that date won’t get the payout.
A share consolidation is essentially a technical adjustment. It cuts the total number of shares to keep the price per share roughly stable after a hefty cash payout, preventing the price from simply falling by the dividend’s value.
Now that the corporate reset is mostly done, traders are shifting their focus to what really counts for 2026: volumes, pricing, and how much cost pressure will squeeze margins once promotional activity ramps up across Europe and North America.
There’s a catch. If management signals caution on demand or warns of tougher pricing battles, the stock could slip, even with dividend details locked in. Earnings expectations are what really drive valuation.
Investors will keep a close eye on defensive stocks if rate-cut expectations change once more, especially following a series of UK data that has bounced sharply between strength and stagnation.
Reckitt’s full-year results are due on March 5, with an investor presentation set for 08:30 GMT at the London Stock Exchange.
