NatWest Group plc Acquires 10,274 Shares of Cintas Co. (NASDAQ:CTAS)

NatWest Group plc boosted its holdings in Cintas Co. (NASDAQ:CTAS) by 19.7% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 62,466 shares of the business services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 10,274 shares during the quarter. Cintas accounts for 3.4% of NatWest Group plc’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th biggest holding. NatWest Group plc’s holdings in Cintas were worth $11,413,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Financial Management Professionals Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Cintas by 341.4% in the third quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. now owns 128 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Hollencrest Capital Management lifted its stake in Cintas by 433.3% during the 3rd quarter. Hollencrest Capital Management now owns 128 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 104 shares in the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC purchased a new position in Cintas during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Addison Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Cintas by 495.7% in the 3rd quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 137 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 114 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Grove Bank & Trust raised its holdings in shares of Cintas by 1,340.0% in the third quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 144 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 134 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 63.46% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

CTAS has been the topic of several analyst reports. Robert W. Baird cut 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. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their target price on Cintas from $236.00 to $211.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 20th. UBS Group decreased their price target on Cintas from $240.00 to $218.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 20th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on Cintas from $185.00 to $202.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Cintas from $191.00 to $184.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 20th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $198.46.

Cintas Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ CTAS opened at $202.06 on Friday. 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 fifty-two week low of $150.70 and a fifty-two week high of $228.12. The stock has a market cap of $81.54 billion, a PE ratio of 48.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.87 and a beta of 1.38. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $199.35 and a 200-day moving average of $206.94.

Cintas (NASDAQ:CTAS) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, December 19th. The business services provider reported $1.09 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.01 by $0.08. Cintas had a return on equity of 40.62% and a net margin of 17.23%. The business had revenue of $2.56 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.56 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $3.61 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Cintas Co. will post 4.31 earnings per share for the current 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 dividend of $0.39 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.77%. Cintas’s payout ratio is presently 37.61%.

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.