Bank Pictet & Cie Europe AG Raises Stake in Cintas Co. (NASDAQ:CTAS)

Bank Pictet & Cie Europe AG lifted its holdings in shares of Cintas Co. (NASDAQ:CTAS - Free Report) by 0.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 514,336 shares of the business services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 3,504 shares during the quarter. Cintas comprises about 2.1% of Bank Pictet & Cie Europe AG's holdings, making the stock its 12th biggest holding. Bank Pictet & Cie Europe AG owned about 0.13% of Cintas worth $93,969,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. State Street Corp grew its position in shares of Cintas by 299.3% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 14,555,558 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $2,996,697,000 after buying an additional 10,910,285 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC lifted its stake in Cintas by 297.3% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 8,781,132 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $1,807,860,000 after acquiring an additional 6,571,128 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Cintas by 309.7% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 8,248,271 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $1,693,654,000 after acquiring an additional 6,235,052 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its position in shares of Cintas by 264.7% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 3,279,029 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $693,503,000 after purchasing an additional 2,379,932 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its holdings in shares of Cintas by 308.2% in the 3rd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 2,522,921 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $519,419,000 after purchasing an additional 1,904,926 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 63.46% of the company's stock.

Cintas Stock Performance

Shares of CTAS stock traded up $4.40 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $208.14. The company had a trading volume of 2,326,136 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,718,194. The stock has a market cap of $83.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.18, a PEG ratio of 3.94 and a beta of 1.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 1.58 and a quick ratio of 1.38. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $196.84 and its 200 day simple moving average is $207.96. Cintas Co. has a 52-week low of $152.77 and a 52-week high of $228.12.

Cintas (NASDAQ:CTAS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 19th. The business services provider reported $1.09 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 17.23% and a return on equity of 40.62%. Cintas's quarterly revenue was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $3.61 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Cintas Co. will post 4.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Cintas Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Friday, February 14th will be given a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.75%. Cintas's payout ratio is currently 37.61%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently commented on CTAS. Royal Bank of Canada reissued a "sector perform" rating and issued a $215.00 target price on shares of Cintas in a report on Friday, December 20th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Cintas from $191.00 to $184.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price target on shares of Cintas from $236.00 to $211.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 20th. Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on shares of Cintas from $209.00 to $200.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 20th. Finally, UBS Group dropped their target price on shares of Cintas from $240.00 to $218.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 20th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Cintas presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $198.46.

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.