PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab Acquires Shares of 397,141 Cintas Corporation $CTAS

PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab acquired a new stake in shares of Cintas Corporation (NASDAQ:CTAS) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 397,141 shares of the business services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $75,596,000.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Danske Bank A S increased its holdings in shares of Cintas by 3.2% in the 4th quarter. Danske Bank A S now owns 204,501 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $38,461,000 after purchasing an additional 6,337 shares in the last quarter. Secured Retirement Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Cintas by 9.6% in the 4th quarter. Secured Retirement Advisors LLC now owns 3,280 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $617,000 after purchasing an additional 287 shares in the last quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. bought a new stake in shares of Cintas in the 4th quarter worth $43,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Cintas in the 4th quarter worth $68,000. Finally, Wendell David Associates Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Cintas by 4.9% in the 4th quarter. Wendell David Associates Inc. now owns 2,142 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $403,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 63.46% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Ronald W. Tysoe sold 4,666 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $178.87, for a total transaction of $834,607.42. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 22,448 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,015,273.76. The trade was a 17.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 14.90% of the company’s stock.

Cintas Stock Down 2.9%

Cintas stock opened at $169.61 on Friday. Cintas Corporation has a one year low of $165.60 and a one year high of $229.24. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $183.59 and a 200 day moving average of $187.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 1.74 and a current ratio of 1.98. The stock has a market cap of $67.86 billion, a PE ratio of 47.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.99 and a beta of 0.97.

Cintas (NASDAQ:CTAS) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, March 25th. The business services provider reported $1.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.24. The business had revenue of $2.84 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.82 billion. Cintas had a return on equity of 41.47% and a net margin of 17.57%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.13 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Cintas Corporation will post 4.89 EPS for the current year.

Cintas Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. Cintas’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 50.85%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have commented on CTAS. Citigroup reduced their target price on Cintas from $181.00 to $160.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Robert W. Baird raised Cintas from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $250.00 target price for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on Cintas from $222.00 to $190.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 26th. Weiss Ratings lowered Cintas from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. Finally, Bank of America began coverage on Cintas in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $215.00 target price for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $215.17.

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.