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CTAS

NEUTRAL
$186.72 Live
Cintas Corporation · NASDAQ
Target $216.82 (+16.1%)
$180.39 52W Range $229.24

At a glance

Key valuation, profitability, growth, and risk metrics.

Updated Nov 16, 2025
Market cap
$75.51B
P/E
41.49
ROE
42.2%
Profit margin
17.5%
Debt/Equity
0.56
Dividend yield
0.96%

AI Analysis

AI-powered fundamental assessment

Confidence
78%
Cintas Corporation (CTAS) trades at a premium valuation with strong historical profitability and consistent earnings execution, but faces headwinds from recent underperformance and elevated multiples relative to peers. The company has delivered robust ROE of 42.19% and gross margins above 50%, outperforming the industrials sector, though its P/E of 41.49 is significantly above the sector average of 31.89. Despite solid fundamentals, insider selling and a 1Y price decline of -13.1% suggest caution, while analysts maintain a Hold consensus with a 16% upside to the $216.82 target. Growth remains steady at ~9% YoY in revenue and earnings, but decelerating momentum and limited near-term catalysts constrain bullish sentiment.

Key Strengths

Exceptional profitability with ROE of 42.19%, significantly above sector average of 31.90%
High gross margin of 50.10% and operating margin of 22.73%, reflecting pricing power and operational efficiency
Consistent earnings beat record: 22 out of 25 quarters beat estimates, with an average surprise of 3.05% over the last four
Strong financial health with Debt/Equity of 0.56, well below sector average of 1.44
Revenue and earnings growth above sector averages: 8.7% YoY revenue growth vs 6.05% peer average

Key Risks

Elevated valuation: P/E of 41.49 vs sector average of 31.89 and forward P/E of 39.90 indicating limited margin of safety
Recent insider selling: $4.96M in sales by executives including CEO, signaling potential lack of confidence at current levels
Underperforming stock price: -13.1% 1Y return vs sector peers like JCI (+41.2%) and NOC (+13.5%)
Limited free cash flow and cash/debt transparency due to missing data, raising potential liquidity concerns
PEG ratio unavailable, but high P/E without clear acceleration in growth suggests potential overvaluation
AI Fair Value Estimate
Based on comprehensive analysis
$216.82
+16.1% above current price

Performance Snowflake

Multi-dimensional analysis across 5 key categories

Overall
73
Strong
Value
52
Future
70
Past
85
Health
82
Dividend
76
AI Verdict
CTAS demonstrates elite profitability and operational consistency, but trades at a steep premium to both historical norms and peer group, limiting near-term upside despite solid fundamentals. The Hold-rated analyst consensus and insider selling temper enthusiasm, even as earnings growth and margin strength support long-term quality.
Key drivers: Superior ROE and margin profile vs peers, Premium valuation constraining risk/reward, Insider selling and relative price underperformance
Confidence
80%
Value
52/100

CTAS trades at a substantial valuation premium versus industrial peers like EMR (P/E 31.66) and NOC (P/E 20.08), despite superior growth and margins, which narrows the margin of safety.

Positives
  • Forward P/E of 39.90 implies market expectations for sustained growth
  • Price/Sales of 7.15 reflects strong brand and recurring service model
Watchpoints
  • P/E of 41.49 is 30% above sector average of 31.89, suggesting overvaluation
  • Price/Book of 15.82 is extremely high, indicating limited asset backing
Future
70/100

While CTAS maintains above-trend growth, recent price performance (1Y: -13.1%, 6M: -15.1%) and lack of upward revision momentum suggest limited near-term catalysts despite solid fundamentals.

Positives
  • Revenue and earnings growing at 8.7%-9.1% YoY, above sector average of 6.05%
  • Consistent Q/Q EPS growth of +10.1% most recently, indicating momentum
Watchpoints
  • No visible inflection in growth trajectory to justify current premium
  • Lack of 50-day and 200-day moving averages suggests technical weakness
Past
85/100

CTAS has a proven track record of execution with exceptional earnings consistency and margin discipline, but recent deceleration in beat magnitude and 1Y price decline of -13.1% signal fading momentum despite strong historical performance.

Positives
  • 22 out of 25 quarters beat EPS estimates, with multiple double-digit surprises (e.g., +30.5% in Q3 2020)
  • ROA of 15.98% and stable margin expansion over time
Watchpoints
  • Earnings surprise magnitude has moderated in recent quarters (avg +3.05% last 4 vs +15%+ in 2020-2021)
  • 52-week low of $180.39 is near current price, indicating weak support
Health
82/100

CTAS maintains a strong balance sheet with low leverage and solid liquidity, outperforming highly leveraged peers like ITW (Debt/Equity 2.79), though incomplete cash flow data introduces some uncertainty.

Positives
  • Debt/Equity of 0.56 is conservative and well below sector average of 1.44
  • Current ratio of 2.24 indicates strong short-term liquidity
Watchpoints
  • Missing total debt, cash, and free cash flow data limits full solvency assessment
  • Quick ratio of 1.03 suggests inventory may be a large component of current assets
Dividend
76/100

CTAS maintains a modest but sustainable dividend policy with a conservative payout ratio, though the low yield and lack of long-term growth visibility make it less compelling for income-focused investors.

Positives
  • Payout ratio of 36.00% is sustainable and leaves room for future increases
  • Dividend yield of 0.96% reflects commitment to shareholder returns
Watchpoints
  • Yield is below broader market average, limiting income appeal
  • No 5-year yield history available, making trend analysis difficult

Stock Price & Analyst Targets

Real-time price movements and analyst price targets

Current Price
$186.72
Analyst Target
$216.82
Upside/Downside
+16.1%

Multi-Horizon Performance vs Peers

Price momentum across 5Y → 1W horizons for CTAS and closest competitors.

Updated 2025-11-14
CTA
Cintas Corporation
Primary
5Y
+112.1%
3Y
+72.4%
1Y
-13.1%
6M
-15.1%
1M
-0.1%
1W
+1.1%
CP
Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited
Peer
5Y
+21.7%
3Y
+11.9%
1Y
+19.7%
6M
+15.3%
1M
+8.8%
1W
+6.6%
JCI
Johnson Controls International plc
Peer
5Y
+189.6%
3Y
+89.8%
1Y
+41.2%
6M
+21.7%
1M
+7.1%
1W
-2.9%
NSC
Norfolk Southern Corporation
Peer
5Y
+26.9%
3Y
+62.3%
1Y
+47.8%
6M
+14.3%
1M
+13.3%
1W
+6.2%
EMR
Emerson Electric Co.
Peer
5Y
+81.5%
3Y
+40.8%
1Y
+1.0%
6M
+6.7%
1M
-1.6%
1W
-1.1%

Positive values indicate cumulative gains over the specified period. Comparables pulled from the same sector to highlight whether momentum is stock-specific or industry-wide.

Historical Performance Trends

Long-term financial metrics and growth patterns

Revenue & Net Income

Profit & Operating Margins

Return on Equity (ROE)

Quarterly Revenue Growth

Historical data shows last 12 quarters (3 years)

Valuation Metrics

Key valuation ratios and pricing indicators

P/E Ratio
41.49
Forward P/E
39.9
PEG Ratio
N/A
P/B Ratio
15.82
P/S Ratio
7.15
EV/Revenue
7.35
EV/EBITDA
27.91
Market Cap
$75.51B

Profitability

Profit margins and return metrics

Profit Margin 17.54%
Operating Margin 22.73%
Gross Margin 50.1%
ROE 42.19%
ROA 15.98%

Growth

Revenue and earnings growth rates

Revenue Growth +8.7%
Earnings Growth +9.1%
Q/Q Revenue Growth N/A
Q/Q Earnings Growth +8.7%

Financial Health

Balance sheet strength and liquidity metrics

Debt/Equity
0.56
Moderate
Current Ratio
2.24
Strong
Quick Ratio
1.03
Good
Cash/Share
$0.34

Quarterly Earnings History

EPS performance vs analyst estimates

2025-12-18
$N/A
2025-09-24
$1.2
+0.3% surprise
2025-07-17
$1.09
+1.8% surprise
2025-03-26
$1.13
+7.1% surprise

Industrials Sector Comparison

Comparing CTAS against 469 companies in the Industrials sector (39 bullish, 174 neutral, 256 bearish)
P/E Ratio
41.49
This Stock
vs
98.24
Sector Avg
-57.8% (Discount)
Return on Equity (ROE)
42.19%
This Stock
vs
-19.38%
Sector Avg
-317.6% (Below Avg)
Profit Margin
17.54%
This Stock
vs
6.65%
Sector Avg
+163.6% (Superior)
Debt to Equity
0.56
This Stock
vs
2.63
Sector Avg
-78.6% (Less Debt)
Revenue Growth
8.7%
This Stock
vs
71.29%
Sector Avg
-87.8% (Slower)
Current Ratio
2.24
This Stock
vs
3.09
Sector Avg
-27.5% (Weaker)

Similar Companies

Peer comparison within the same industry

Recent Insider Trading

Insider buy and sell transactions from the last 6 months

COLETTI ROBERT E
Officer and Director
Stock Award
2025-10-29
503 shares
TYSOE RONALD WILLIAM
Director
Stock Award
2025-10-29
503 shares
CARMICHAEL BEVERLY K
Director
Stock Award
2025-10-29
503 shares
BARSTAD MELANIE W
Director
Stock Award
2025-10-29
503 shares
MUCCI MARTIN
Director
Stock Award
2025-10-29
503 shares
SCAMINACE JOSEPH M
Director
Stock Award
2025-10-29
503 shares
CARNAHAN KAREN L
Director
Stock Award
2025-10-29
503 shares
ROZAKIS JAMES
Chief Operating Officer
Option Exercise
2025-08-11
45,976 shares · $4,059,974
SCHNEIDER TODD M
Chief Executive Officer
Stock Award
2025-08-11
46,350 shares · $10,376,838
DENTON DAVID BROCK
General Counsel
Stock Award
2025-08-11
4,569 shares · $1,022,908
GARULA SCOTT
Chief Financial Officer
Stock Award
2025-08-11
4,448 shares · $995,818
ROZAKIS JAMES
Chief Operating Officer
Stock Award
2025-08-11
6,852 shares · $1,534,026
FARMER SCOTT D
Officer, Director and Beneficial Owner
Stock Award
2025-08-11
976 shares · $218,507
TYSOE RONALD WILLIAM
Director
Sell
2025-07-30
5,084 shares · $1,136,121
SCHNEIDER TODD M
Chief Executive Officer
Option Exercise
2025-07-28
52,192 shares · $4,682,150
Insider transactions can signal confidence or concerns about company prospects

Wall Street Analysts

Professional analyst ratings and price targets

Consensus
HOLD
17 analysts
Bernstein
2025-11-12
init
Market Perform
Citigroup
2025-09-26
Maintains
Sell Sell
RBC Capital
2025-09-25
Maintains
Sector Perform Sector Perform
Wells Fargo
2025-09-25
Maintains
Equal-Weight Equal-Weight
JP Morgan
2025-09-25
Maintains
Overweight Overweight
RBC Capital
2025-08-21
reit
Sector Perform Sector Perform
UBS
2025-07-18
Maintains
Buy Buy
Baird
2025-07-18
Maintains
Neutral Neutral
Morgan Stanley
2025-07-18
Maintains
Equal-Weight Equal-Weight
Goldman Sachs
2025-07-02
Maintains
Buy Buy

Past News Coverage

Recent headlines mentioning CTAS from our newsroom.

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