Cintas Co. (NASDAQ:CTAS) Short Interest Update

Cintas Co. (NASDAQ:CTAS) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 5,940,000 shares, an increase of 7.8% from the November 30th total of 5,510,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,650,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.6 days.

Cintas Stock Down 0.5 %

Shares of CTAS opened at $182.70 on Thursday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $210.03 and its 200 day moving average price is $203.95. Cintas has a 12-month low of $143.64 and a 12-month high of $228.12. The company has a current ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The firm has a market cap of $73.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.15 and a beta of 1.33.

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 the consensus estimate of $1.01 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $2.56 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.56 billion. Cintas had a net margin of 16.80% and a return on equity of 39.56%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $3.61 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Cintas will post 4.23 earnings per share for the current year.

Cintas Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 15th were given a dividend of $0.39 per share. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.85%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 15th. Cintas’s dividend payout ratio is presently 37.59%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CTAS has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and issued a $215.00 price objective on shares of Cintas in a report on Friday, December 20th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Cintas from $191.00 to $184.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 20th. UBS Group lowered their price objective on Cintas from $240.00 to $218.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 20th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Cintas from $185.00 to $202.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Truist Financial dropped their target price on shares of Cintas from $225.00 to $215.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 20th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Cintas has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $198.46.

Institutional Trading of Cintas

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in CTAS. LGT Financial Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Cintas by 311.1% during the second quarter. LGT Financial Advisors LLC now owns 37 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 28 shares during the last quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. grew its position in Cintas by 341.4% during the 3rd quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. now owns 128 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Hollencrest Capital Management grew its position in Cintas by 433.3% during the 3rd quarter. Hollencrest Capital Management now owns 128 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 104 shares during the last quarter. Addison Advisors LLC increased its stake in Cintas by 495.7% in the third quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 137 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 114 shares during the period. Finally, Grove Bank & Trust boosted its stake in shares of Cintas by 1,340.0% during the third quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 144 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 134 shares during the period. 63.46% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.