Principal Securities Inc. Increases Holdings in Cintas Co. (NASDAQ:CTAS)

Principal Securities Inc. boosted its position in Cintas Co. (NASDAQ:CTAS - Free Report) by 71.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 9,836 shares of the business services provider's stock after buying an additional 4,107 shares during the quarter. Principal Securities Inc.'s holdings in Cintas were worth $1,797,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Financial Management Professionals Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Cintas by 341.4% in the third quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. now owns 128 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 99 shares during the period. Hollencrest Capital Management boosted its holdings in shares of Cintas by 433.3% in the third quarter. Hollencrest Capital Management now owns 128 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 104 shares during the period. Sound Income Strategies LLC bought a new position in shares of Cintas in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Addison Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Cintas by 495.7% in the third quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 137 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 114 shares during the period. Finally, Endeavor Private Wealth Inc. bought a new position in shares of Cintas in the fourth quarter worth $31,000. 63.46% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on CTAS shares. Truist Financial cut their price target on Cintas from $225.00 to $215.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 20th. Robert W. Baird cut their price target on Cintas from $209.00 to $200.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price target on Cintas from $236.00 to $211.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 20th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on Cintas from $191.00 to $184.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 20th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reissued a "sector perform" rating and set a $215.00 price objective on shares of Cintas in a research note on Friday, December 20th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $198.46.

Cintas Price Performance

CTAS stock traded down $1.50 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $204.43. 2,302,558 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,724,269. 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 business has a fifty day moving average price of $196.67 and a 200 day moving average price of $207.94. Cintas Co. has a 12 month low of $154.15 and a 12 month high of $228.12. The stock has a market capitalization of $82.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 49.29, a PEG ratio of 4.02 and a beta of 1.38.

Cintas (NASDAQ:CTAS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 19th. The business services provider reported $1.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.01 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $2.56 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.56 billion. Cintas had a return on equity of 40.62% and a net margin of 17.23%. The company's revenue was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.61 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Cintas Co. will post 4.31 EPS for the current year.

Cintas Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 14th will be issued a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.76%. Cintas's dividend payout ratio is currently 37.61%.

Cintas 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.