Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. Buys 40,444 Shares of Cintas Co. (NASDAQ:CTAS)

Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. lifted its position in shares of Cintas Co. (NASDAQ:CTAS) by 1,931.4% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 42,538 shares of the business services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 40,444 shares during the period. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc.’s holdings in Cintas were worth $25,636,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Janiczek Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Cintas by 113.0% during the 4th quarter. Janiczek Wealth Management LLC now owns 49 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 26 shares during the period. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC increased its stake in Cintas by 33.9% in the 3rd quarter. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC now owns 75 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 19 shares during the period. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Cintas by 66.7% in the 3rd quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 85 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Cintas by 2,833.3% in the third quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 88 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $43,000 after acquiring an additional 85 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Operose Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Cintas by 944.4% in the third quarter. Operose Advisors LLC now owns 94 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares during the last quarter. 63.46% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Cintas Price Performance

Shares of CTAS stock traded down $1.30 during trading on Thursday, hitting $662.29. The company had a trading volume of 389,208 shares, compared to its average volume of 350,112. The stock has a market capitalization of $67.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.86 and a beta of 1.27. Cintas Co. has a 52 week low of $456.57 and a 52 week high of $704.84. The company has a quick ratio of 2.03, a current ratio of 2.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $651.02 and its two-hundred day moving average is $597.11.

Cintas (NASDAQ:CTAS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 27th. The business services provider reported $3.84 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.58 by $0.26. The company had revenue of $2.41 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.39 billion. Cintas had a return on equity of 37.19% and a net margin of 15.98%. The firm’s revenue was up 9.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $3.14 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Cintas Co. will post 14.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Cintas Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 14th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 15th will be issued a $1.35 dividend. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.82%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 14th. Cintas’s payout ratio is presently 37.29%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on CTAS shares. Oppenheimer reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of Cintas in a research note on Monday, April 1st. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on Cintas from $675.00 to $725.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, March 28th. UBS Group upped their price target on Cintas from $680.00 to $790.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 28th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on Cintas from $673.00 to $765.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 28th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price objective on Cintas from $629.00 to $726.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, March 28th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $661.21.

About Cintas

Cintas Corporation provides 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.