Cintas Corporation (NASDAQ:CTAS) Short Interest Update

Cintas Corporation (NASDAQ:CTAS) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in the month of February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 8,192,237 shares, an increase of 17.8% from the February 12th total of 6,953,921 shares. Currently, 2.4% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 1,701,891 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 4.8 days. Based on an average daily volume of 1,701,891 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 4.8 days. Currently, 2.4% of the company’s stock are short sold.

Cintas Stock Performance

Shares of CTAS traded down $1.54 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $192.74. The stock had a trading volume of 1,732,796 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,961,496. The firm has a market cap of $77.07 billion, a PE ratio of 56.19, a P/E/G ratio of 3.50 and a beta of 0.95. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $195.16 and a 200-day simple moving average of $193.20. Cintas has a one year low of $180.39 and a one year high of $229.24. The company has a current ratio of 1.71, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54.

Cintas (NASDAQ:CTAS) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, December 18th. The business services provider reported $1.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.20 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $2.80 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.77 billion. Cintas had a net margin of 17.58% and a return on equity of 41.07%. Cintas’s revenue was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.09 EPS. Cintas has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.810-4.880 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Cintas will post 4.31 EPS for the current year.

Cintas Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th were given a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 13th. Cintas’s payout ratio is 52.48%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on Cintas from $220.00 to $210.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Argus upgraded Cintas to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Wells Fargo & Company raised Cintas from a “cautious” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $205.00 to $245.00 in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Citigroup reiterated a “sell” rating and issued a $181.00 price objective (up from $176.00) on shares of Cintas in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and issued a $206.00 target price on shares of Cintas in a research report on Friday, December 19th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $220.25.

Institutional Trading of Cintas

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Cintas during the fourth quarter worth approximately $923,672,000. Two Sigma Investments LP increased its stake in shares of Cintas by 5,641.3% during the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 1,016,671 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $208,682,000 after purchasing an additional 998,963 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its holdings in Cintas by 2,653.0% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 1,003,031 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $188,640,000 after purchasing an additional 966,597 shares during the last quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in Cintas by 275.2% during the 3rd quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC now owns 1,123,237 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $230,556,000 after purchasing an additional 823,885 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Freestone Grove Partners LP boosted its stake in Cintas by 5,341.8% in the 3rd quarter. Freestone Grove Partners LP now owns 747,109 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $153,352,000 after purchasing an additional 733,380 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 63.46% of the company’s stock.

About Cintas

Cintas Corporation (NASDAQ: CTAS) is a provider of business services and products focused on workplace appearance, safety and facility maintenance. The company is best known for its uniform rental and corporate apparel programs, which include rental, leasing and direct-purchase options, laundering and garment repair. Cintas markets its services to a wide range of end-users, including manufacturing, food service, healthcare, hospitality, retail and government customers.

Beyond uniforms, Cintas offers a suite of facility services and products designed to help organizations maintain clean, safe and compliant workplaces.