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Analyzing Cintas (CTAS) Through a Strategic Investor's Lens

Cintas logged a 1.3% change during today's morning session, and is now trading at a price of $168.07 per share.

Cintas returned losses of -24.9% last year, with its stock price reaching a high of $229.24 and a low of $161.16. Over the same period, the stock underperformed the S&P 500 index by -50.8%. AThe company's 50-day average price was $177.61. 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 offered a 1.0% dividend yield over the last 12 months.

Growing Revenues and Healthy Leverage Levels:

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Revenue (M) $7,085 $7,116 $7,854 $8,816 $9,597 $10,340
Gross Margins 46% 47% 46% 47% 49% 50%
Net Margins 12% 16% 16% 15% 16% 18%
Net Income (M) $876 $1,111 $1,236 $1,348 $1,572 $1,812
Net Interest Expense (M) -$104 -$98 -$89 -$110 $101 $102
Depreciation & Amort. (M) $236 $244 $249 $267 $281 $303
Diluted Shares (M) 432 424 413 413 411 406
Earnings Per Share $2.03 $2.62 $2.99 $3.26 $3.83 $4.46
EPS Growth n/a 29.06% 14.12% 9.03% 17.48% 16.45%
Avg. Price $224.27 $278.31 $372.09 $384.14 $602.66 $182.12
P/E Ratio 105.79 103.08 122.0 116.05 154.53 40.47
Free Cash Flow (M) $1,061 $1,217 $1,297 $1,255 $1,659 $1,757
CAPEX (M) $230 $143 $241 $331 $409 $409
EV / EBITDA 67.52 71.11 83.3 76.68 104.2 28.39
Total Debt (M) $2,291 $1,343 $2,485 $2,474 $2,027 $2,427
Net Debt / EBITDA 1.14 0.76 1.3 1.15 0.81 0.84
Current Ratio 2.06 1.22 1.86 2.24 1.58 1.71

Cintas benefits from growing revenues and increasing reinvestment in the business, generally positive cash flows, and a strong EPS growth trend. The company's financial statements show a decent current ratio of 1.71 and healthy leverage levels.

Cintas Has Elevated P/B and P/E Ratios:

Cintas has a trailing twelve month P/E ratio of 37.4, compared to an average of 24.03 for the Industrials sector. Based on its EPS guidance of $5.43, the company has a forward P/E ratio of 32.7. Cintas's PEG ratio is 3.19 on the basis of the 11.7% weighted average of the company and the broader market's EPS compound average growth rates. This suggests that the company's shares are overvalued. Furthermore, Cintas is likely overvalued compared to the book value of its equity, since its P/B ratio of 14.04 is higher than the sector average of 2.89. The company's shares are currently trading 406.7% below their Graham number. Overall, Cintas's lofty valuation in terms of earnings and assets is to some extent attenuated by its strong cash flow trend and reasonable levels of debt.

Cintas Has an Analyst Consensus of Strong Upside Potential:

The 17 analysts following Cintas have set target prices ranging from $160.0 to $255.0 per share, for an average of $212.41 with a buy rating.

Cintas has an average amount of shares sold short because 3.8% of the company's shares are sold short. Institutions own 67.9% of the company's shares, and the insider ownership rate stands at 14.96%, suggesting a large amount of insider shareholders. The largest shareholder is Blackrock Inc., whose 7% stake in the company is worth $4,532,792,130.

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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