British pest control company Rentokil Initial (NYSE: RTO) said on Thursday it expected underlying revenue at its North American business – the group’s largest – to come in at the lower end of its forecast, sending its shares as much as 7% lower.
The company, which made about 60% of its revenue in North America last year, also said it had no immediate plans to move its listing to the United States, as some analysts had speculated.
“Going forward, the board will continue to keep the Group’s listing structure under review to ensure that the strength of the Group’s underlying financial performance and its prospects are appropriately valued,” it said in a statement.
Rentokil’s shares (NYSE: RTO) have fallen about 20% since it flagged softer demand in North America last October.
Earlier this month, the shares rose on reports that ex-BT chief Philip Jansen was looking to buy the firm. They also jumped in June on news that activist investor Nelson Peltz’s Trian Fund Management had built a stake in the company and was interested in discussing “ideas and initiatives”.
In March, Rentokil said it expected organic revenue in North America to rise by 2-4% this year. On Thursday, it said it now expected revenue growth there at the lower end of this range.
For the second quarter, the key North American pest control business posted a 0.5% rise in organic revenue, compared with the previous quarter.
“Investors are ostensibly reacting to the muted quarter-on-quarter improvement in organic growth for the beleaguered North America pest control business,” said Morningstar analyst Grant Slade.
Rentokil (NYSE: RTO) and rival Rollins (NYSE: ROL) account for roughly half of the US pest control market, with Rentokil the larger player after it bought US rival Terminix.
Rollins posted a 7.7% organic revenue growth in the second quarter.
“Relative to the growth of the broader market, Rentokil is underperforming the peers while Rollins continues to outperform,” Slade added.
(Source: Reuters)
Edward Cooke is a financial analyst, freelance writer, and editor. He has six years of experience in financial journalism. He has an in-depth understanding of equities markets, tracking major indices and providing real-time analysis on stock price movements, corporate earnings, and market sentiment.
