Cintas Co. (NASDAQ:CTAS) Shares Purchased by Whipplewood Advisors LLC

Whipplewood Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Cintas Co. (NASDAQ:CTAS - Free Report) by 13,773.1% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 43,839 shares of the business services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 43,523 shares during the period. Cintas accounts for 2.7% of Whipplewood Advisors LLC's holdings, making the stock its 7th biggest holding. Whipplewood Advisors LLC's holdings in Cintas were worth $9,010,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of CTAS. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its position in Cintas by 26.7% during the fourth quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 2,228,609 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $407,163,000 after acquiring an additional 468,950 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its position in shares of Cintas by 137.5% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 2,222,527 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $457,574,000 after acquiring an additional 1,286,668 shares during the last quarter. Alpine Global Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Cintas in the 4th quarter worth approximately $284,000. U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Cintas by 1,177.8% during the fourth quarter. U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 21,314 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $3,894,000 after buying an additional 19,646 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Treasurer of the State of North Carolina increased its stake in shares of Cintas by 12.3% during the 4th quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 170,182 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $31,092,000 after acquiring an additional 18,620 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 63.46% of the company's stock.

Cintas Price Performance

Shares of Cintas stock traded down $0.47 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $226.90. 1,283,976 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,691,405. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $211.89 and a 200-day simple moving average of $205.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 1.58 and a quick ratio of 1.38. Cintas Co. has a 52 week low of $169.46 and a 52 week high of $228.76. The firm has a market cap of $91.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 54.71, a PEG ratio of 3.98 and a beta of 1.09.

Cintas (NASDAQ:CTAS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 26th. The business services provider reported $1.13 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.05 by $0.08. Cintas had a return on equity of 40.62% and a net margin of 17.23%. The business had revenue of $2.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.60 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $3.84 EPS. Cintas's revenue for the quarter was up 8.4% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that Cintas Co. will post 4.31 earnings per share for the current year.

Cintas Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 13th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.39 per share. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.69%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 15th. Cintas's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.11%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Cintas news, COO Jim Rozakis sold 2,000 shares of Cintas stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $190.37, for a total transaction of $380,740.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 256,528 shares in the company, valued at approximately $48,835,235.36. The trade was a 0.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Ronald W. Tysoe sold 8,521 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $208.96, for a total value of $1,780,548.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 27,029 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,647,979.84. This represents a 23.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 15.00% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on CTAS shares. Citigroup started coverage on shares of Cintas in a report on Monday, February 24th. They set a "sell" rating and a $161.00 target price on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada reissued a "sector perform" rating and set a $215.00 target price on shares of Cintas in a research note on Thursday, March 27th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on Cintas from $211.00 to $233.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 27th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Cintas from $184.00 to $196.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a report on Thursday, March 27th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Cintas from $218.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 27th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Cintas currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $213.88.

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.