Reckitt maintains strong growth rate

Household cleaning goods company Reckitt Benckiser forecast another strong year today as it posted record results driven by products such as Cillit Bang and Vanish.

Reckitt, which last week completed the £1.93bn (€2.8bn) takeover of Strepsils and Nurofen maker Boots Healthcare International (BHI), said sales grew 8% in the final three months of 2005.

That performance – contributing to annual sales growth of 8% to £4.18bn (€6.1bn) - helped pre-tax profits up by a better-than-expected 15% to £876m (€1.3bn).

Chief executive Bart Becht said: “Reckitt Benckiser sustained its robust growth ahead of the market resulting in our highest ever quarter for net revenues.

“As a result, 2005 was another year of solid progress exceeding our earlier targets.”