Rentokil

RTO

Market cap $15.2B

Investors with an interest in Business - Services stocks have likely encountered both Rentokil Initial PLC (RTO) and UL Solutions Inc. (ULS). But which of these two stocks offers value investors a better bang for their buck right now?

Almost two-thirds of the stocks in the portfolio declined during the quarter, with nearly half falling by more than 10%. Samsung Electronics, the portfolio's largest investment, pre-released its Q1 results, highlighting significant growth in its core semiconductor operations. The equities that had the largest negative impact on the portfolio during the quarter were ICON, Unilever and UBS.

Regal Rexnord outperformed in Q1 as the company reported strong orders for a new data center product, which should support solid revenue growth in 2027. Diamond Hill initiated a position in Antero Resources, a natural gas exploration and production company, to gain exposure given a constructive long-term outlook for US natural gas. Carrier Global is now a focused, high-quality business that Diamond Hill believes is in an excellent position to continue to gain market share and improve margins long-term.

We do not believe Humana's current share price reflects the company's earnings power, and as industry conditions normalize, we believe it can return to target margins over the long term. We initiated a position in Antero Resources, a natural gas exploration and production company, to gain exposure given our constructive long-term outlook for US natural gas. We exited our position in First Advantage, a leader in the background check space, to pursue other opportunities with less macro exposure and AI-disruption concerns.

Shares of Lantheus Holdings were added after the company received FDA approval of its key product TruVu. We used recent weakness as an opportunity to initiate a position in Talen Energy, an independent power producer whose portfolio includes the Susquehanna nuclear plant and other dispatchable generation assets. We exited Cactus as we lost confidence that its major growth lever, expansion into the Middle East, would play out in 2026 amid the escalating conflict in the region.

The pest collective: “From root cause to real solutions” launches this Spring The pest collective: “From root cause to real solutions” launches this Spring

Rentokil Initial plc (RTO) Q1 2026 Sales/Trading Call Transcript

Rentokil Initial PLC (LSE:RTO) reported steady first-quarter growth, supported by pricing and improving demand in North America. The group said revenue rose 4.3% to $1.68 billion in the three months to March, with organic growth of 3.4%.

European stocks are expected to open in mixed territory as investors assess a confused picture of where the Iran war and peace talks are headed.

UBS has shared the key investor debates following its recent upgrade of Rentokil Initial PLC (LSE:RTO) to 'buy', with a 12-month price target of 540p, implying upside of around 11% from the current share price of 488p. The Swiss bank upgraded the pest control and hygiene services group on the basis that a reshaping of its North American pest control strategy could inflect volumes over the next 12 months, supporting what UBS described as the re-emergence of a valuable long-term compounder.