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UPDATE 2-Rentokil shares hit by dividend disappointment

Published 02/18/2011, 06:25 AM
Updated 02/18/2011, 06:28 AM

* Adjusted pretax profit up 15 percent to 192 million pounds

* Targets 2011 turnaround for struggling City Link, Benelux * No return to dividend

* Shares down 7.5 percent

(Adds CEO quotes, analyst comments, details)

Reporting by Neil Maidment

LONDON, Feb 18 (Reuters) - British pest control-to-cleaning company Rentokil Initial's said its struggling City Link courier business and textile and hygiene operations in Benelux needed to be turned around before it resumed dividend payments.

Its shares were down 7.5 percent at 1120 GMT on Friday.

Rentokil, which provides textiles and washrooms services, parcel deliveries and tropical plants, was posting a 15 percent rise in adjusted 2010 pretax profit to 192 million pounds ($310 million), just below the consensus forecast.

Chief executive Alan Brown told reporters the company had the cash to resume paying dividends.

"Once you see white smoke emerging from City Link and Benelux then we will be back onto the dividend," he said, adding the company might announce a dividend with its 2011 results.

Rentokil reported strong performances in pest control and facilities services, as well as in the Asia Pacific region, and said it would focus on improving City Link and Benelux in 2011.

"No resumption of the dividend is a material disappointment," Arbuthnot analysts said.

Panmure analysts said: "Final results are 1 percent below consensus at the adjusted pretax profit and 4 percent below our forecast, reflecting a poor performance in City Link and Textiles and Hygiene Benelux".

TURNAROUND PLAN

Rentokil said City Link's structural issues were largely resolved but its poor operational performance was compounded by winter weather that hit Britain in December.

The company, which is planning group cost savings of 60 million pounds this year, said poor performance in Benelux had been impacted by weak operational control and it was now focusing on getting the right management.

Rentokil said its turnaround plan for City Link, whose managing director Stuart Godman resigned in December, included investing in customer care, frontline training, increasing the number of employed drivers and bringing more work in-house.

"City Link's operational inefficiencies are expected to be addressed by October 2011 but financial delivery will be weak until then," Brown said.

Brown told reporters the search for a new City Link leader was at an early stage and he would to run it in the meantime. (Editing by Matt Scuffham and Dan Lalor) ($1 = 0.6198 pound)

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