Cintas Co. (NASDAQ:CTAS) Receives Consensus Rating of “Hold” from Analysts

Shares of Cintas Co. (NASDAQ:CTAS) have been given an average recommendation of “Hold” by the seventeen ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $199.63.

Several analysts recently issued reports on CTAS shares. Redburn Atlantic started coverage on shares of Cintas in a report on Friday, August 9th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $167.50 price objective on the stock. Baird R W lowered shares of Cintas from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, July 19th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Cintas from $184.00 to $191.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Thursday, September 26th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Cintas from $170.00 to $185.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 26th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on Cintas from $212.00 to $236.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 26th.

Cintas Stock Down 0.7 %

NASDAQ CTAS opened at $215.20 on Friday. Cintas has a 52 week low of $136.50 and a 52 week high of $227.35. The company has a quick ratio of 1.33, a current ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $221.09 and its 200-day simple moving average is $194.94. The firm has a market cap of $86.79 billion, a PE ratio of 54.34, a P/E/G ratio of 4.40 and a beta of 1.32.

Cintas (NASDAQ:CTAS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, September 25th. The business services provider reported $1.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.00 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $2.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.49 billion. Cintas had a net margin of 16.80% and a return on equity of 39.56%. Cintas’s revenue was up 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $3.70 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Cintas will post 4.23 earnings per share for the current year.

Cintas declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback program on Tuesday, July 23rd that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the business services provider to purchase up to 1.3% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Cintas Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 15th will be given a dividend of $0.39 per share. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.72%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 15th. Cintas’s dividend payout ratio is presently 39.39%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Cintas

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. LGT Financial Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Cintas by 311.1% in the second quarter. LGT Financial Advisors LLC now owns 37 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares in the last quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. boosted its holdings in Cintas by 341.4% in the third quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. now owns 128 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Hollencrest Capital Management boosted its holdings in Cintas by 433.3% in the third quarter. Hollencrest Capital Management now owns 128 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 104 shares in the last quarter. Atwood & Palmer Inc. acquired a new position in Cintas in the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, Addison Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Cintas by 495.7% in the third quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 137 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 114 shares in the last quarter. 63.46% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.