London, March 16, 2026, 18:15 GMT
Reckitt Benckiser ended Monday up 2.4% at 5,484 pence, landing it among the FTSE 100’s top gainers. Morgan Stanley lifted its rating to “overweight” and issued a price target of 6,300 pence. MarketScreener
The rebound does little to erase Reckitt’s 15.8% loss for the month, or the 12.3% drop since Jan. 1. Monday’s uptick recoups just a fraction of last week’s selloff. On March 5, shares tumbled over 6% when the company stopped short of offering margin guidance and pointed to profit pressure ahead.
Morgan Stanley’s new target is about 15% higher than where shares finished on Monday. The note landed on a day when London’s consumer staples names, typically seen as a safer haven during market turbulence, gained over 1%. Haleon jumped 2.8% following the start of its £500 million buyback program late last week.
The broader market managed to hold firm. The FTSE 100 closed up 0.6%. IG’s Chris Beauchamp put it bluntly: equities “stand or fall by the oil price” right now, with traders glued to developments in the Gulf conflict. Share Prices
Reckitt, for its part, has been propping up its shares with a fresh round of buybacks. On March 9, the company announced it was kicking off the third tranche of its 1 billion pound repurchase program—this leg could reach up to 540 million pounds and wraps up by July 27. The move is aimed at lifting shareholder returns and trimming the company’s share capital.
Reshuffling continues at the company. Last year, Reckitt announced plans to sell Essential Home for as much as $4.8 billion; the deal went through, but Reckitt kept a 30% stake.
Management hasn’t shifted focus from higher-growth regions. Chief executive Kris Licht described emerging economies as a “must-win set of markets” last week, adding that “the runway for growth is so significant”. Reckitt reported a 5.2% increase in 2025 comparable sales for its core business, fueled by robust gains from emerging markets. Reuters
The risks pressuring sentiment since early March are still very much in play. Reckitt’s outlook calls for 4% to 5% growth in its core business this year, but leaders caution that Europe stays tough, a sluggish cold-and-flu season weighs on short-term demand, and tax and FX combined shaved 7% off earnings per share.
Chris Beckett at Quilter Cheviot flagged that while the disposal lifted margins, “stranded costs and FX” are eating into those gains. Stranded costs, to be clear, are the bills that stick around after a sale. Reuters
Monday’s bounce offers a bit of relief, though it barely moves the needle. Reckitt remains under pressure to show that gains in emerging markets, share buybacks, and a narrower portfolio can do more than just offset sluggishness in Europe and the lingering costs from selling Essential Home.
