Analysts Set Cintas Co. (NASDAQ:CTAS) Target Price at $198.46

Shares of Cintas Co. (NASDAQ:CTAS) have earned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the sixteen research firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $198.46.

A number of research firms recently weighed in on CTAS. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their target price on shares of Cintas from $730.00 to $200.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, September 26th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on Cintas from $185.00 to $202.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Robert W. Baird cut their target price on Cintas from $209.00 to $200.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 20th. UBS Group lowered their price target on Cintas from $240.00 to $218.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 20th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Cintas from $191.00 to $184.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 20th.

Cintas Stock Up 2.0 %

NASDAQ CTAS opened at $188.72 on Friday. Cintas has a 52 week low of $143.98 and a 52 week high of $228.12. The company has a quick ratio of 1.33, a current ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The company has a market capitalization of $76.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.15 and a beta of 1.37. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $208.18 and its 200-day moving average price is $204.37.

Cintas (NASDAQ:CTAS) last released its earnings results 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. The company had revenue of $2.56 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.56 billion. Cintas had a net margin of 16.80% and a return on equity of 39.56%. The firm’s revenue was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $3.61 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Cintas will post 4.23 earnings per share for the current year.

Cintas Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 13th. Investors of record on Friday, November 15th were given a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 15th. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.83%. Cintas’s dividend payout ratio is currently 37.59%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Cintas

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. LGT Financial Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Cintas by 311.1% in the second quarter. LGT Financial Advisors LLC now owns 37 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 28 shares during the period. Meeder Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in Cintas by 226.7% in the 2nd quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 49 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Cintas during the second quarter worth approximately $56,000. Quarry LP raised its stake in shares of Cintas by 500.0% during the second quarter. Quarry LP now owns 108 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $76,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Financial Management Professionals Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Cintas by 341.4% in the third quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. now owns 128 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the period. 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.