Barclays PLC Boosts Position in Cintas Co. (NASDAQ:CTAS)

Barclays PLC boosted its holdings in Cintas Co. (NASDAQ:CTAS) by 340.1% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 1,089,535 shares of the business services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 841,952 shares during the quarter. Barclays PLC owned about 0.27% of Cintas worth $224,312,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Continuum Advisory LLC grew its holdings in shares of Cintas by 260.5% during the third quarter. Continuum Advisory LLC now owns 6,673 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,448,000 after buying an additional 4,822 shares during the last quarter. LRI Investments LLC raised its position in Cintas by 300.0% in the third quarter. LRI Investments LLC now owns 728 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $158,000 after acquiring an additional 546 shares during the period. Geller Advisors LLC raised its position in Cintas by 309.1% in the third quarter. Geller Advisors LLC now owns 2,688 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $553,000 after acquiring an additional 2,031 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio raised its position in Cintas by 324.1% in the third quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 177,032 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $36,447,000 after acquiring an additional 135,289 shares during the period. Finally, EWA LLC raised its position in Cintas by 301.5% in the third quarter. EWA LLC now owns 1,076 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $233,000 after acquiring an additional 808 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 63.46% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have weighed in on CTAS. UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of Cintas from $240.00 to $218.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 20th. Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on shares of Cintas from $209.00 to $200.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 20th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of Cintas from $191.00 to $184.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price objective on shares of Cintas from $236.00 to $211.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 20th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and set a $215.00 price objective on shares of Cintas in a research report on Friday, December 20th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $198.46.

Cintas Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:CTAS opened at $202.56 on Tuesday. Cintas Co. has a 52 week low of $148.87 and a 52 week high of $228.12. The stock has a market capitalization of $81.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.84, a PEG ratio of 3.84 and a beta of 1.37. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $202.99 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $206.09. The company has a quick ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47.

Cintas (NASDAQ:CTAS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 19th. The business services provider reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.01 by $0.08. Cintas had a net margin of 17.23% and a return on equity of 40.62%. The business had revenue of $2.56 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.56 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $3.61 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect that Cintas Co. will post 4.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Cintas Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 14th will be paid a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.77%. Cintas’s payout ratio is currently 37.59%.

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.