Cintas (NASDAQ:CTAS) Announces Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.01 EPS

Cintas (NASDAQ:CTAS) posted its earnings results on Thursday. The business services provider reported $1.21 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.01, FiscalAI reports. The company had revenue of $2.80 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.77 billion. Cintas had a return on equity of 40.41% and a net margin of 17.54%.Cintas’s revenue was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.09 earnings per share. Cintas updated its FY 2026 guidance to 4.810-4.880 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from Cintas’ conference call:

• Cintas reported record revenues of $2.8B (+9.3%) with operating income up 10.9% to $655.7M and diluted EPS of $1.21 (+11%), and overall gross margin increased 60 bps to 50.4%.
• Management raised Fiscal 2026 guidance to $11.15–$11.22B in revenue (7.8%–8.5% growth) and $4.81–$4.88 in diluted EPS (9.3%–10.9%).
• Strong cash generation (free cash flow $425M, +23.8%) funded a balanced capital allocation: ~$106M CapEx, $85.6M in acquisitions, $182.3M dividends and $622.5M of share buybacks in Q2 (YTD capital returned $1.24B).
• Management flagged near-term headwinds from tariffs and continued ERP (SAP S/4HANA) implementation costs, noting further implementation-related expenses into FY27 (Scott referenced ~100 bps impact on the fire business) and that tariff effects are dynamic.
• Cintas emphasized durable, multi‑channel growth drivers — retention at all-time highs, strong organic growth by segment (first aid +14.1%, fire +11.5%, uniform rental +7.8%), cross‑selling, vertical focus, and ongoing M&A optionality.

Cintas Stock Up 1.3%

NASDAQ CTAS opened at $189.89 on Friday. 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 has a 52 week low of $180.39 and a 52 week high of $229.24. The firm has a market capitalization of $76.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.06, a PEG ratio of 3.24 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a fifty day moving average of $186.40 and a two-hundred day moving average of $204.83.

Cintas Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 14th were given a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 14th. Cintas’s dividend payout ratio is currently 40.82%.

Cintas announced that its board has authorized a stock buyback plan on Tuesday, October 28th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the business services provider to reacquire up to 1.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Institutional Trading of Cintas

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. boosted its position in Cintas by 2.8% during the second quarter. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. now owns 2,287 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $510,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares during the period. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in shares of Cintas by 9.3% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 1,268 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $232,000 after buying an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Cintas during the 3rd quarter worth about $29,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of Cintas by 113.5% during the 3rd quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 269 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $55,000 after buying an additional 143 shares during the period. Finally, Challenger Wealth Management grew its stake in Cintas by 3.1% in the 2nd quarter. Challenger Wealth Management now owns 4,997 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,114,000 after buying an additional 149 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 63.46% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CTAS has been the subject of several recent research reports. Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage on Cintas in a report on Wednesday, November 12th. They set a “market perform” rating and a $200.00 price target for the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Cintas in a research report on Monday. Rothschild & Co Redburn upgraded Cintas from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $184.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. Rothschild Redb upgraded shares of Cintas from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Cintas from $172.00 to $176.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, September 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Cintas presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $212.00.

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.