LONDON, March 12, 2026, 15:27 GMT
Shares of Reckitt Benckiser Group plc continued their slide Thursday, trading at 5,351 pence as of 1513 GMT, according to Cboe Europe data—a drop of 0.69% for the session. The maker behind Durex and Lysol is now down roughly 6% for the week and has lost more than 14% since the beginning of 2026. 1
The drop hasn’t reversed since last week’s earnings shock, and investors are still trying to figure out if cash returns can make up for lingering worries about profit margins and post-Essential Home sale earnings. Over at Marketscreener, broker updates on Tuesday showed Berenberg sticking with its hold rating but trimming its target price to 5,479 pence. 2
Reckitt disclosed in a Thursday filing that it picked up 138,000 shares on March 11, paying an average 5,397.8 pence apiece. These shares head straight into treasury—held by the company for now, not immediately cancelled—lifting Reckitt’s treasury pot to 29.23 million shares. 3
The deal falls under the third tranche of Reckitt’s £1 billion buyback, launched March 9 and capped at £540 million. According to Investegate’s version of the company’s statement, Deutsche Bank AG, London Branch is overseeing the program. It’s set to wrap up by July 27. 4
Investors aren’t letting the buyback distract them from issues flagged in Reckitt’s March 5 earnings. Stripping out currency and portfolio effects, the company’s underlying fourth-quarter sales climbed 5.4%—better than analysts had projected—thanks largely to a 17.2% sales jump in emerging markets. Europe, however, fell 4.5%, and Reckitt stopped short of offering clear guidance on margins for 2026. 2
Kris Licht, chief executive, described emerging markets as a “must-win set of markets” for Reckitt in comments to Reuters. Quilter Cheviot analyst Chris Beckett pointed out that while the Essential Home disposal brought some margin relief, “stranded costs and FX”—meaning foreign-exchange fluctuations—were wiping out those gains. 2
Broader market sentiment isn’t lending any support. By late morning, Britain’s FTSE 100 slipped 0.4% as Middle East turmoil sent oil prices higher, feeding inflation fears and forcing traders to scale back expectations for Bank of England rate cuts. “A prolonged disruption is only going to compound the impact on energy costs and global inflation,” said Danni Hewson, head of financial analysis at AJ Bell. 5
Reckitt isn’t the only one dealing with these headwinds. Henkel on Wednesday flagged sluggish sentiment across Europe and North America, adding that war-related uncertainty in Iran would drag on early 2026. Meanwhile, Haleon is stepping up its China strategy as major Western brands look for growth away from mature markets. 6
Reckitt faces more than just macroeconomic headwinds. It’s already flagged that a softer cold and flu season may drag on first-quarter sales for its non-prescription medicines. Higher energy prices could pile on more pressure if the oil shock doesn’t fade. 2
The shares, trading at 5,351 pence, are skirting Berenberg’s newly lowered 5,479-pence target. Going by that broker’s calculations, the margin for disappointment looks slim. 1
