AlphaQuest LLC Sells 1,760 Shares of Cintas Co. (NASDAQ:CTAS)

AlphaQuest LLC trimmed its position in Cintas Co. (NASDAQ:CTAS) by 34.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 3,412 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 1,760 shares during the quarter. AlphaQuest LLC’s holdings in Cintas were worth $623,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Sound Income Strategies LLC bought a new stake in shares of Cintas in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Addison Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Cintas by 495.7% in the 3rd quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 137 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 114 shares during the period. Endeavor Private Wealth Inc. bought a new position in Cintas in the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. bought a new position in Cintas in the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, OFI Invest Asset Management bought a new position in Cintas in the 4th quarter valued at about $37,000. 63.46% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Cintas Stock Performance

NASDAQ CTAS opened at $196.56 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 1.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. The firm has a market capitalization of $79.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.39, a P/E/G ratio of 3.98 and a beta of 1.41. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $199.52 and its 200 day simple moving average is $209.36. Cintas Co. has a 1 year low of $154.83 and a 1 year high of $228.12.

Cintas (NASDAQ:CTAS) last posted 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. Cintas had a net margin of 17.23% and a return on equity of 40.62%. The business had revenue of $2.56 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.56 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $3.61 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that Cintas Co. will post 4.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Cintas Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced 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. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.79%. Cintas’s dividend payout ratio is currently 37.59%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

CTAS has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley increased their price target 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. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of Cintas from $191.00 to $184.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 20th. UBS Group lowered 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. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on shares of Cintas from $209.00 to $200.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 20th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and issued a $215.00 price target on shares of Cintas in a report on Friday, December 20th. Two equities 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 company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $199.79.

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.