Sanford C. Bernstein Begins Coverage on Cintas (NASDAQ:CTAS)

Stock analysts at Sanford C. Bernstein began coverage on shares of Cintas (NASDAQ:CTAS) in a research report issued on Wednesday, MarketBeat reports. The brokerage set a “market perform” rating and a $200.00 price target on the business services provider’s stock. Sanford C. Bernstein’s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 6.43% from the stock’s current price.

CTAS has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Cintas in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Rothschild & Co Redburn upgraded Cintas from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $184.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Rothschild Redb upgraded Cintas from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on Cintas from $227.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, July 18th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price objective on shares of Cintas from $240.00 to $206.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, September 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Cintas presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $215.07.

Cintas Stock Performance

NASDAQ:CTAS opened at $187.91 on Wednesday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $194.37 and its 200-day simple moving average is $210.44. The company has a quick ratio of 1.94, a current ratio of 2.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. The stock has a market cap of $75.51 billion, a PE ratio of 42.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.18 and a beta of 0.99. Cintas has a fifty-two week low of $180.39 and a fifty-two week high of $229.24.

Cintas (NASDAQ:CTAS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, September 24th. The business services provider reported $1.20 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.10 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. Cintas has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.740-4.86 EPS. Analysts expect that Cintas will post 4.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Cintas declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, October 28th that permits the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the business services provider to buy up to 1.3% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Cintas

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Crestwood Advisors Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Cintas in the 1st quarter worth approximately $270,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its position in Cintas by 25.5% in the first quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 791,197 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $162,615,000 after buying an additional 160,820 shares during the period. Merit Financial Group LLC lifted its stake in Cintas by 11.2% in the second quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 14,472 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $3,225,000 after buying an additional 1,459 shares during the last quarter. Comerica Bank boosted its holdings in shares of Cintas by 9.8% during the first quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 91,991 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $18,907,000 after acquiring an additional 8,215 shares during the period. Finally, Canopy Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Cintas during the first quarter worth about $329,000. 63.46% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.