Reckitt’s Focus on Big Brands Pays Off

• Reckitt Benckiser’s focus on its core “power brands” and emerging markets is working, as its Q1 sales rose 4%, slightly ahead of its 3.8% estimate. For the quarter, sales came in at $3.8 billion at current exchange rates.

“These results give us the confidence to reiterate our 2012 target of like-for-like net revenue growth of 200 basis points above our market growth rate of 1-2%. We also expect to maintain full year operating margins,” said the new chief executive Rakesh Kapoor, who took over last September after Bart Becht’s departure.