Sentry Investment Management LLC Trims Holdings in Cintas Co. (NASDAQ:CTAS)

Sentry Investment Management LLC decreased its stake in shares of Cintas Co. (NASDAQ:CTAS) by 14.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,297 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 211 shares during the quarter. Sentry Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Cintas were worth $237,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in CTAS. Hollencrest Capital Management raised its holdings in shares of Cintas by 433.3% in the third quarter. Hollencrest Capital Management now owns 128 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 104 shares during the period. Sound Income Strategies LLC bought a new stake in Cintas during the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Addison Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Cintas by 495.7% during the 3rd quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 137 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 114 shares in the last quarter. Endeavor Private Wealth Inc. purchased a new position in Cintas during the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Quintet Private Bank Europe S.A. increased its holdings in shares of Cintas by 357.1% during the third quarter. Quintet Private Bank Europe S.A. now owns 160 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. 63.46% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently commented on CTAS. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Cintas from $191.00 to $184.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 20th. UBS Group dropped their price objective on Cintas from $240.00 to $218.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 20th. Citigroup started coverage on Cintas in a report on Monday. They issued a “sell” rating and a $161.00 price objective on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their target price on shares of Cintas from $236.00 to $211.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 20th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and set a $215.00 price objective on shares of Cintas in a research note on Friday, December 20th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $199.79.

Cintas Stock Performance

NASDAQ:CTAS opened at $205.82 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $83.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 49.63, a P/E/G ratio of 3.98 and a beta of 1.38. The company has a quick ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $196.31 and its two-hundred day moving average is $208.62. Cintas Co. has a fifty-two week low of $154.15 and a fifty-two week high of $228.12.

Cintas (NASDAQ:CTAS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 19th. The business services provider reported $1.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.01 by $0.08. Cintas had a return on equity of 40.62% and a net margin of 17.23%. The company had revenue of $2.56 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.56 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $3.61 EPS. Cintas’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that Cintas Co. will post 4.31 EPS for the current year.

Cintas Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 14th will be given a dividend of $0.39 per share. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.76%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. Cintas’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 37.59%.

About Cintas

Cintas Corporation engages in the provision of corporate identity uniforms and related business services primarily in the United States, Canada, and Latin America. It operates through Uniform Rental and Facility Services, First Aid and Safety Services, and All Other segments. The company rents and services uniforms and other garments, including flame resistant clothing, mats, mops and shop towels, and other ancillary items; and provides restroom cleaning services and supplies, as well as sells uniforms.