44,849 Shares in Cintas Co. (NASDAQ:CTAS) Purchased by Generali Asset Management SPA SGR

Generali Asset Management SPA SGR acquired a new position in Cintas Co. (NASDAQ:CTAS) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 44,849 shares of the business services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $8,194,000.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Cintas by 278.0% in the 3rd quarter. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 6,646 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,368,000 after purchasing an additional 4,888 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its stake in Cintas by 373.6% in the 3rd quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 19,028 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $3,917,000 after purchasing an additional 15,010 shares during the period. Mutual of America Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Cintas by 287.9% in the 3rd quarter. Mutual of America Capital Management LLC now owns 42,198 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $8,688,000 after purchasing an additional 31,319 shares during the period. Claro Advisors LLC bought a new position in Cintas in the 3rd quarter worth about $251,000. Finally, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans boosted its stake in Cintas by 331.2% in the 3rd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 20,970 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $4,317,000 after purchasing an additional 16,107 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 63.46% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have commented on CTAS shares. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their target price on Cintas from $236.00 to $211.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 20th. Robert W. Baird dropped their price target on Cintas from $209.00 to $200.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 20th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Cintas from $191.00 to $184.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 20th. Citigroup started coverage on Cintas in a research report on Monday, February 24th. They set a “sell” rating and a $161.00 price target for the company. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Cintas from $185.00 to $202.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $199.79.

Cintas Price Performance

CTAS opened at $195.17 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 1.38 and a current ratio of 1.58. Cintas Co. has a 52-week low of $155.89 and a 52-week high of $228.12. The stock has a market capitalization of $78.76 billion, a PE ratio of 47.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.98 and a beta of 1.41. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $200.22 and its 200-day moving average price is $209.17.

Cintas (NASDAQ:CTAS) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, December 19th. The business services provider reported $1.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.01 by $0.08. Cintas had a return on equity of 40.62% and a net margin of 17.23%. The firm had revenue of $2.56 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.56 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $3.61 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that Cintas Co. will post 4.31 EPS for the current year.

Cintas Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Friday, February 14th were paid a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 14th. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.80%. Cintas’s payout ratio is 37.59%.

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.