Cintas Co. (NASDAQ:CTAS) Given Consensus Rating of “Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Cintas Co. (NASDAQ:CTAS – Get Rating) have received a consensus rating of “Buy” from the eleven brokerages that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and six have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $457.11.

CTAS has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Zacks Investment Research upgraded Cintas from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $457.00 target price on the stock in a report on Monday, December 27th. Barclays lifted their target price on Cintas from $470.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, December 23rd. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on Cintas from $416.00 to $389.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on Cintas in a report on Tuesday, March 29th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $517.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Argus decreased their target price on Cintas from $490.00 to $450.00 in a report on Friday, March 25th.

In related news, CAO Michael Lawrence Thompson sold 12,500 shares of Cintas stock in a transaction on Friday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $423.24, for a total transaction of $5,290,500.00. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO J. Michael Hansen sold 8,200 shares of Cintas stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $424.23, for a total value of $3,478,686.00. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 14.90% of the company’s stock.

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. JNBA Financial Advisors acquired a new stake in shares of Cintas in the third quarter worth about $27,000. HWG Holdings LP acquired a new stake in shares of Cintas in the fourth quarter worth about $35,000. NuWave Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Cintas in the fourth quarter worth about $40,000. Enterprise Trust & Investment Co acquired a new position in shares of Cintas during the 4th quarter worth about $44,000. Finally, O Dell Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Cintas by 466.7% during the 4th quarter. O Dell Group LLC now owns 102 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. 63.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Shares of CTAS stock traded down $8.62 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $420.50. 15,678 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 550,694. Cintas has a twelve month low of $338.00 and a twelve month high of $461.44. The firm has a market cap of $43.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.55 and a beta of 1.53. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $391.27 and its 200-day simple moving average is $410.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a current ratio of 1.02.

Cintas (NASDAQ:CTAS – Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 23rd. The business services provider reported $2.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.44 by $0.53. Cintas had a return on equity of 34.05% and a net margin of 15.88%. The company had revenue of $1.96 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.91 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.37 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.3% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that Cintas will post 11.24 earnings per share for the current year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 15th were issued a dividend of $0.95 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 14th. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.90%. Cintas’s dividend payout ratio is 33.60%.

Cintas Company Profile (Get Rating)

Cintas Corporation provides 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.

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