Mediolanum International Funds Ltd Raises Stake in Cintas Co. (NASDAQ:CTAS)

Mediolanum International Funds Ltd grew its position in Cintas Co. (NASDAQ:CTAS - Free Report) by 477.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 12,731 shares of the business services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 10,527 shares during the quarter. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd's holdings in Cintas were worth $2,333,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Palmer Knight Co increased its stake in Cintas by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Palmer Knight Co now owns 45,957 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $8,396,000 after buying an additional 177 shares in the last quarter. Gries Financial LLC boosted its stake in shares of Cintas by 7.2% in the fourth quarter. Gries Financial LLC now owns 4,588 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $838,000 after acquiring an additional 307 shares during the period. Milestone Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of Cintas by 46.9% during the fourth quarter. Milestone Asset Management LLC now owns 11,339 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $2,072,000 after purchasing an additional 3,622 shares in the last quarter. Ibex Wealth Advisors bought a new stake in Cintas during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $249,000. Finally, Iams Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Cintas by 39.7% in the 4th quarter. Iams Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,525 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $461,000 after purchasing an additional 718 shares in the last quarter. 63.46% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have issued reports on CTAS. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of Cintas from $191.00 to $184.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 20th. UBS Group reduced their price target on shares of Cintas from $240.00 to $218.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 20th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Cintas from $185.00 to $202.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, December 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their target price on Cintas from $236.00 to $211.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 20th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reissued a "sector perform" rating and set a $215.00 price target on shares of Cintas in a research note on Friday, December 20th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Cintas presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $198.46.

Cintas Trading Down 0.8 %

Shares of CTAS opened at $200.57 on Friday. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $201.15 and its 200-day simple moving average is $206.46. The company has a market cap of $80.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.36, a P/E/G ratio of 3.83 and a beta of 1.37. The company has a current ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 1.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. Cintas Co. has a twelve month low of $150.48 and a twelve month 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, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.01 by $0.08. Cintas had a net margin of 17.23% and a return on equity of 40.62%. The company had revenue of $2.56 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.56 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.61 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that Cintas Co. will post 4.31 EPS for the current year.

Cintas Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 14th will be given a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.78%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 14th. Cintas's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 37.59%.

About Cintas

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CTAS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Cintas Co. (NASDAQ:CTAS - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.