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Why Aren't More Analysts Recommending Cintas (CTAS)?

Cintas may be undervalued with mixed growth prospects, but the 16 analysts following the company give it an rating of hold. Their target prices range from $172.0 to $255.0 per share, for an average of $221.0. At today's price of $216.44, Cintas is trading -2.06% away from its average target price, suggesting there is an analyst consensus of some upside potential for the stock.

Cintas Corporation engages in the provision of corporate identity uniforms and related business services primarily in the United States, Canada, and Latin America. Based in Cincinnati, OH, the Large-Cap Industrials company has 48,300 full time employees. Cintas has provided a 0.7% dividend yield over the last 12 months.

Cintas has a trailing twelve month P/E ratio of 49.3, compared to an average of 24.03 for the Industrials sector. Considering its EPS guidance of $4.68, the company has a forward P/E ratio of 46.2.

Furthermore, Cintas is overpriced compared to its book value, since its P/B ratio of 18.62 is higher than the sector average of 2.89. The company's shares are currently 621.2% below their Graham number, indicating that its shares have a margin of safety.

2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Revenue (M) $6,892 $7,085 $7,116 $7,854 $8,816 $9,597
Gross Margins 45% 46% 47% 46% 47% 49%
Net Margins 13% 12% 16% 16% 15% 16%
Net Income (M) $885 $876 $1,111 $1,236 $1,348 $1,572
Net Interest Expense (M) $102 $105 $98 $89 $111 $101
Depreciation & Amort. (M) $224 $236 $244 $249 $257 $281
Diluted Shares (M) 429 432 424 413 413 411
Earnings Per Share $2.06 $2.03 $2.62 $2.99 $3.26 $3.83
EPS Growth n/a -1.46% 29.06% 14.12% 9.03% 17.48%
Avg. Price $173.36 $224.27 $278.31 $372.09 $384.14 $602.66
P/E Ratio 20.06 26.51 25.79 30.47 28.99 38.63
Free Cash Flow (M) $791 $1,061 $1,217 $1,297 $1,267 $1,670
CAPEX (M) $277 $230 $143 $241 $331 $409
EV / EBITDA 14.79 17.73 18.34 21.8 20.13 26.66
Total Debt (M) $2,539 $2,291 $1,343 $2,485 $2,474 $2,027
Net Debt / EBITDA 1.7 1.14 0.76 1.3 1.16 0.81
Current Ratio 1.92 2.06 1.22 1.86 2.24 1.58
The above analysis is intended for educational purposes only and was performed on the basis of publicly available data. It is not to be construed as a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Any buy, sell, or other recommendations mentioned in the article are direct quotations of consensus recommendations from the analysts covering the stock, and do not represent the opinions of Market Inference or its writers. Past performance, accounting data, and inferences about market position and corporate valuation are not reliable indicators of future price movements. Market Inference does not provide financial advice. Investors should conduct their own review and analysis of any company of interest before making an investment decision.

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