London, July 4, 2026, 18:03 BST
- Reckitt ended Friday at 5,112p, off 0.31% for the day. Over the last five sessions, shares were up 3.67%. Trading volume came in at 39% of the 65-day average.
- A St. Louis jury found in favor of Mead Johnson in a lawsuit over its preterm infant formula, but Mead Johnson and Abbott still face about 1,000 other related cases.
- Reckitt is set to report half-year results on July 29 at 0830 BST.
Reckitt Benckiser Group plc (LON:RKT) bounced 3.67% for the week, but action stayed muted. Shares dipped 0.31% to 5,112p on Friday. Trading volume was just 822,250 shares, about 39% of the 65-day average. With July 4 on a Saturday, this update covers last week and looks ahead, as the London Stock Exchange trades Monday through Friday, 0800 to 1630 local.
Reckitt investors got a legal update, not a sales one. A jury in St. Louis decided that Reckitt’s Mead Johnson business was not responsible for necrotizing enterocolitis in a premature baby. Reuters said this case is part of nearly 1,000 lawsuits targeting Mead Johnson and Abbott Laboratories NYSE:ABT, with over 700 cases grouped in Illinois federal court.
The main debate is whether Reckitt’s discount comes more from legal risks or from how well it’s running its business. The stock finished Friday down 18.24% so far in 2026, despite climbing 12.38% over the past month. Shares are still 21.63% lower than their January 9 high, per Investors Chronicle.
| Reckitt price tape | Latest figure |
|---|---|
| Closed Friday | 5,112p |
| Changed Friday | -0.31% |
| Five-day change | +3.67% |
| One-month change | +12.38% |
| Change for the year | -18.24% |
| Volume to 65-day average | 39% |
| Distance from 52-week high | -21.63% |
Jury’s verdict leaves the case unresolved. Reuters reported Mead Johnson and Abbott have done both well and poorly in previous trials. In June, an Illinois appeals court tossed a $60 million judgment against Mead Johnson and called for a new trial. Lawyers for the St. Louis family said they did not agree with the verdict and are considering their next steps.
Reckitt trades at a cheaper earnings multiple than Unilever PLC (LON:ULVR) and Haleon PLC LON:HLN, with a higher dividend yield. The peer screen shows why legal cases are moving the share price. These numbers are vendor snapshots from Friday’s close or delayed market data.
| Company | Ticker | Friday move | Five-day move | YTD move | P/E | Yield |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reckitt Benckiser Group plc | LON:RKT | fell 0.31% | up 3.67% for the week | down 18.24% this year | 10.51 | 4.15% |
| Unilever PLC | LON:ULVR | lost 0.35% | added 0.42% over five days | down 4.93% since January | 19.43 | 3.66% |
| Haleon PLC | LON:HLN | gained 1.08% | rose 4.59% this week | off 2.80% YTD | 19.38 | 1.95% |
Why it matters: If Reckitt keeps seeing fewer legal hits, its multiple could catch up a bit even if sales don’t move much. But if operating results dip again, the low multiple might just stick around.
Operations are still weighing on results. Reckitt came up short on first-quarter core like-for-like sales in April, posting 1.3% growth versus 2.9% expected by its own consensus. The company flagged lower first-half margins with pressure from high oil prices and a soft cold-and-flu season. Harsharan Mann at Aviva Investors, which holds Reckitt shares, described the quarter as “broad-based muted growth.” Reuters
Management’s focus has been on emerging markets and tighter cost controls. In March, CEO Kris Licht said emerging markets were a “must-win set of markets” to Reuters, as Q4 emerging-market revenue jumped 17.2%. Quilter Cheviot analyst Chris Beckett said any margin gain from the Essential Home divestment was getting eaten up by “stranded costs and FX.” Reuters
Capital returns are in focus this week. Reckitt wrapped up a 1 billion pound buyback on June 16, saying it had finished its third and last round with 11,122,383 shares bought at an average 48.55 pounds each. The company said it expects to announce another buyback when it posts half-year results. Shares closed Friday at 51.12 pounds, about 5% above the average for that final tranche.
Reckitt set July 29 for its next key date, when it will release 2026 half-year numbers and host a virtual investor call set for 0830 BST.
