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%.
North America, now its largest market, saw revenue increase 4.5% to $995 million, with organic growth of 3.9%. Pest control services were supported by price increases and a recovery from weather disruption earlier in the quarter, while business services growth accelerated to 12.7%.
International revenue rose 4.1% to $682 million, with organic growth of 2.8%, driven by Europe, Latin America and the UK. Performance in the Middle East was affected by disruption linked to the war in Iran.
New chief executive Mike Duffy said: "We have made a good start to the year in a seasonally quieter first quarter."
Having started a month ago, he said is "excited by the opportunity to unlock the potential of the group" and was confident of delivering full-year results in line with market expectations.
The company completed nine bolt-on acquisitions in the period, adding $19 million in annualised revenue.
The shares fell 1.3% to 494.3p.
Broker Stifel said: "Overall, we view this as a robust update from Rentokil, with organic growth trends similar to 4Q25 in the seasonally quieter first quarter. We would not expect consensus to change materially today."