Cintas (NASDAQ:CTAS) Sets New 12-Month Low – Here’s Why

Shares of Cintas Corporation (NASDAQ:CTAS) hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as low as $180.44 and last traded at $180.94, with a volume of 183155 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $183.27.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

CTAS has been the topic of several recent research reports. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Cintas from $213.00 to $220.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, July 18th. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Cintas from $172.00 to $176.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday, September 26th. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of Cintas from $240.00 to $255.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 18th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Cintas from $221.00 to $218.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, September 25th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of Cintas from $246.00 to $230.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, September 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $222.09.

Cintas Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $72.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.01, a P/E/G ratio of 3.18 and a beta of 1.01. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $198.73 and its 200 day simple moving average is $211.83. The company has a quick ratio of 1.94, a current ratio of 2.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51.

Cintas (NASDAQ:CTAS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, September 24th. The business services provider reported $1.20 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.19 by $0.01. Cintas had a net margin of 17.54% and a return on equity of 40.41%. The firm had revenue of $2.72 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.70 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.10 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. Cintas has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.740-4.86 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Cintas Corporation will post 4.31 earnings per share for the current year.

Cintas Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 14th will be paid a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 14th. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. Cintas’s payout ratio is 40.82%.

Cintas announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, October 28th that allows the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the business services provider to buy up to 1.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Institutional Trading of Cintas

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of CTAS. Crestwood Advisors Group LLC bought a new stake in Cintas during the first quarter worth about $270,000. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. lifted its position in Cintas by 51.9% during the first quarter. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 9,967 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $2,049,000 after purchasing an additional 3,404 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its position in Cintas by 25.5% during the first quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 791,197 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $162,615,000 after purchasing an additional 160,820 shares during the period. Merit Financial Group LLC lifted its position in Cintas by 11.2% during the second quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 14,472 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $3,225,000 after purchasing an additional 1,459 shares during the period. Finally, Comerica Bank lifted its position in Cintas by 9.8% during the first quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 91,991 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $18,907,000 after purchasing an additional 8,215 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 63.46% of the company’s stock.

Cintas Company Profile

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.