Reckitt to return cash to investors

The world's biggest household goods firm, Reckitt Benckiser, says it will start returning cash to investors, boosting its shares after it posted higher second-quarter profit and raised its 2003 targets.

The maker of Finish/Calgonit dishwasher products said it would increase its dividend, frozen since its creation in 1999, and spend free cash, which has averaged about stg£250m (€361.01m) a year, on buying back shares.