Risk Intelligence
Core Model
B
79 / 100
Fundamentally Qualified
How strong and defensively sound is the company?
Above average on this measure.
Suggestions
CTAS · NASDAQ
CINTAS CORP
Private betaSector unavailable · Industry unavailable
$201.50
+1.54%
Close on Sep 11, 2026
Defensively Qualified
Updated 6/30/2026
Long-term research evidence only. No price targets, no trading signals, no recommendations.
Investment Report Card
CINTAS CORP
Sector unavailable · Data confidence partial
67 / 100
Rank #119 of 1,152 qualified companies
Top 18% · Watch
Long-Term Potential
Research Model
C+
68 / 100
Weak Compounder
Does the business have the characteristics needed to create value over many years?
Around the middle of the covered universe.
Fundamental Momentum
Research Model
D+
54 / 100
Deteriorating
Is the underlying business getting stronger or weaker?
Weaker than most covered companies on this measure.
Ownership Intelligence
Supplemental Intelligence
C−
57 / 100
Positive disclosed activity
What are important owners actually doing?
Around the middle of the covered universe.
Valuation Intelligence
Research Model
F
28 / 100
Expensive
Is today's price reasonable?
Weaker than most covered companies on this measure — and valuation is researched separately from the Suggested Investment Score.
Capital Returns Intelligence
Research Model
C
60 / 100
Favorable Capital Returns
How effectively does the company reward shareholders?
Around the middle of the covered universe — and capital returns are researched separately from the Suggested Investment Score.
Why it stands out
- Business Quality meets the frozen IA Defensive qualification.
- More disclosed holders are new or increasing than reducing or exiting.
What holds it back
- The Fundamental Momentum research model shows deterioration.
- Elevated valuation: the current market price reflects a premium to this company's historical valuation and comparable companies (Valuation Intelligence 28 out of 100, Expensive).
Long-term view
CINTAS CORP scores 68 on Long-Term Potential (C+), described by the research model as weak compounder. This describes business characteristics only — it is not a forecast of future returns.
Ownership view
Disclosed ownership evidence reads 57 (C−): Positive disclosed activity. 4 tracked managers disclosed a position in the latest reporting period. Ownership filings are historical disclosures, not signals.
Valuation view
CINTAS CORP reads 28 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence, recorded as Expensive. The stock currently trades above most of its own recent valuation history and above comparable companies. This describes the price being paid relative to the company's financials — it is not a forecast and not a fair value. Valuation Intelligence is a research model and contributes nothing to the Suggested Investment Score or the daily ranking.
Capital returns view
CINTAS CORP reads 60 out of 100 on Capital Returns Intelligence (Favorable Capital Returns), reflecting a dividend that has grown about 20.4% a year and a share count falling about 0.6% a year. Capital Returns Intelligence is a research model and contributes nothing to the Suggested Investment Score or the daily ranking.
What changed
No meaningful recorded changes in the stored history.
Risk Intelligence is a core model, Long-Term Potential, Fundamental Momentum, Valuation Intelligence and Capital Returns Intelligence are research models, and Ownership Intelligence is supplemental descriptive evidence. Valuation Intelligence and Capital Returns Intelligence each contribute 0% to the Suggested Investment Score. Nothing here is a recommendation.
Compare CTAS with other companiesResearch Collections
This company does not currently satisfy any collection rule. That is a stored research result, not a judgement about the business.
Browse collectionsAbout a minute to read
The 60-Second Investment Brief
Written from stored research readings only. No hype. No trading signals. Just better evidence.
Why it's interesting
CINTAS CORP (CTAS) scores 67 out of 100 and ranks #119 of 1,152 qualified companies today. That places it in the top 18% of ranked companies. The stored tier for that score is watch.
Business strength
Risk Intelligence reads 79 out of 100 (B), recorded as fundamentally qualified. Above average on this measure.
Long-term opportunity
Long-Term Potential reads 68 out of 100 (C+), recorded as weak compounder. Around the middle of the covered universe.
What's improving or weakening
Fundamental Momentum reads 54 out of 100 (D+), recorded as deteriorating. Weaker than most covered companies on this measure.
What important owners are doing
Ownership Intelligence reads 57 out of 100 (C−), recorded as positive disclosed activity. Around the middle of the covered universe.
What kind of price you'd be paying
Valuation is currently the main point of caution: Valuation Intelligence reads 28 out of 100 (F), recorded as Expensive. CINTAS CORP reads 28 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence, recorded as Expensive. The stock currently trades above most of its own recent valuation history and above comparable companies. This describes the price being paid relative to the company's financials — it is not a forecast and not a fair value. Valuation Intelligence is a research model and contributes nothing to the Suggested Investment Score or the daily ranking.
How the company rewards shareholders
Capital Returns Intelligence reads 60 out of 100 (C), recorded as Favorable Capital Returns. CINTAS CORP reads 60 out of 100 on Capital Returns Intelligence (Favorable Capital Returns), reflecting a dividend that has grown about 20.4% a year and a share count falling about 0.6% a year. Capital Returns Intelligence is a research model and contributes nothing to the Suggested Investment Score or the daily ranking.
What could go wrong
The Fundamental Momentum research model shows deterioration. Elevated valuation: the current market price reflects a premium to this company's historical valuation and comparable companies (Valuation Intelligence 28 out of 100, Expensive). Data confidence for this company is partial.
Bottom line
No individual layer reaches the strongest band today. Fundamental Momentum and Ownership Intelligence remain the main area to watch. Separately from the score, valuation reads expensive at today's price.
Composite discovery model
Suggested Investment Score
Suggested Investment Score
67 / 100
Watch
A 0–100 composite discovery score combining Risk Intelligence, Long-Term Potential, Fundamental Momentum, and Ownership Intelligence. It helps rank qualified companies for further research and does not predict future returns.
- Rank
- #119 of 694
- Percentile
- Top 25%
- Ranking updated
- September 12, 2026
64Rank weakened by 64 positions. Rank weakened by 64 positions.
- Risk Intelligence
- 79
- Long-Term Potential
- 68
- Fundamental Momentum
- 54
- Ownership Intelligence
- 57
30% contribution
30% contribution
20% contribution
20% contribution
Ownership Intelligence
57 / 100 · Moderately Positive · 20% of the Suggested Investment Score
SUPPLEMENTAL / DESCRIPTIVE INTELLIGENCE
Coverage: Good
- Elite Investor Activity
- 50 · Moderately Positive
- Institutional Activity
- 74 · Positive
- Insider Activity
- Insufficient Data
- Strategic Ownership
- Insufficient Data
50% of Ownership Intelligence · 10% of the total score
Tracked professional-manager activity is moderately positive.
20% of Ownership Intelligence · 4% of the total score
Broad institutional evidence from resolved filings is positive.
15% of Ownership Intelligence · 3% of the total score
No discretionary insider transactions are stored for this company, so this evidence is unavailable rather than neutral.
15% of Ownership Intelligence · 3% of the total score
No qualifying major-holder filings are stored, so this evidence is unavailable rather than neutral.
Ownership Intelligence summarizes publicly disclosed activity among professional investment managers, broader institutions, company insiders, and significant strategic owners. It adds context to investment research but is not a validated predictor of future performance. Ownership information is publicly reported with a delay; the latest applicable reporting period is 2026-06-30, publicly disclosed 9/11/2026. Congressional activity is unavailable pending legal review and contributes nothing to this reading.
Why it ranks here
Strong risk profile
Risk Intelligence ranks in the top 10% of qualified companies, with lower_risk price risk.
Exceptional long-term potential
Stored profitability, capital efficiency and reinvestment readings rank near the top of the qualified universe.
What holds it back
Ownership evidence is not uniformly supportive
The combined disclosed ownership evidence ranks below the qualified median.
COMPOSITE DISCOVERY MODEL — RESEARCH STAGE · Data coverage Excellent. Rankings are recalculated daily using the latest available information. Individual components may update at different frequencies based on when new financial and ownership data becomes available.
Researched separately
Valuation Intelligence 28 · Expensive
RESEARCH MODEL
Valuation Intelligence is currently researched separately and does not affect the Suggested Investment Score or daily ranking.
Researched separately
Capital Returns Intelligence 60 · Favorable Capital Returns
RESEARCH MODEL
Capital Returns Intelligence is researched separately and contributes 0% to the Suggested Investment Score, the daily rank or any ranking event.
Score explanation
Why this company scores the way it does
Four research areas carry fixed weights. Each area is compared against every other eligible company, then weighted. The four contributions below add to 67.3 of the stored score (67.3).
Risk Intelligence
30% of the score · contributes 27.1 points
How strong and defensively sound is the company?
Stands at the 90 percentile of eligible companies · stored reading 79 · 40% of this company’s total score
How financially sturdy the company has been when conditions turned against it.
How this area is measured
Risk Intelligence reads stored balance-sheet strength, historical downside behaviour and the company's price-risk grouping. A stronger reading describes past resilience; it does not protect against future losses.
Full methodologyLong-Term Potential
30% of the score · contributes 25.3 points
Does the business have the characteristics needed to create value over many years?
Stands at the 84 percentile of eligible companies · stored reading 68 · 38% of this company’s total score
Whether the business has the durable characteristics long-term owners look for.
How this area is measured
Long-Term Potential reads durability characteristics such as profitability consistency, cash generation and reinvestment capability over multiple reported periods.
Full methodologyFundamental Momentum
20% of the score · contributes 11.1 points
Is the underlying business getting stronger or weaker?
Stands at the 56 percentile of eligible companies · stored reading 54 · 17% of this company’s total score
Whether the reported business results have been getting stronger or weaker.
How this area is measured
Fundamental Momentum compares recent reported fundamentals with the company's own earlier periods, so improvement or deterioration is measured against its history rather than against a forecast.
Full methodologyOwnership Intelligence
20% of the score · contributes 3.8 points
What are important owners actually doing?
Stands at the 19 percentile of eligible companies · stored reading 57 · 6% of this company’s total score
What large reporting owners have actually been doing with their positions.
How this area is measured
Ownership Intelligence reads public ownership filings: how many tracked reporting owners hold the company, and whether they were adding, holding, reducing or exiting in the latest disclosed period.
Full methodology
What is helping the score
- Risk Intelligence — 90 percentile, adding 27.1 points.
- Long-Term Potential — 84 percentile, adding 25.3 points.
What deserves attention
- Ownership Intelligence — 19 percentile, adding only 3.8 of a possible 20 points.
Outside the score
Additional research — not currently included in the primary Suggested Investment Score.
- Valuation Intelligence — CINTAS CORP reads 28 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence, recorded as Expensive. The stock currently trades above most of its own recent valuation history and above comparable companies. This describes the price being paid relative to the company's financials — it is not a forecast and not a fair value.
- Capital Returns Intelligence — CINTAS CORP reads 60 out of 100 on Capital Returns Intelligence (Favorable Capital Returns), reflecting a dividend that has grown about 20.4% a year and a share count falling about 0.6% a year.
Stored snapshots only
What changed
Research-score history available since September 2026.
Stored research history does not yet cover a full 30 days comparison for this company.
A change is reported as meaningful at 8 score points, 5 rank places, or any change of research classification. Nothing here is a recommendation to buy or sell.
Learn the metrics on this page
Plain-English definitions, with the formula and the limitations of each measure.
Fifth research lens · outside the score
Valuation Intelligence
Valuation Intelligence
Is today's price reasonable?
Valuation Intelligence is currently researched separately and does not affect the Suggested Investment Score or daily ranking.
28/ 100
Expensive
RESEARCH MODEL
Excellent coverage
Compared with its history
20
Expensive
Is this company expensive or inexpensive compared with its own history?
Compared with peers
14
Expensive
How expensive is this stock compared with similar companies?
Earnings & cash flow
40
Elevated
How much financial output does an investor receive relative to the price paid?
Growth-adjusted
45
Elevated
Does the company's growth help justify the valuation investors are paying?
CINTAS CORP reads 28 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence, recorded as Expensive. The stock currently trades above most of its own recent valuation history and above comparable companies. This describes the price being paid relative to the company's financials — it is not a forecast and not a fair value.
Price data through September 11, 2026 · Financial data through the quarter ended May 31, 2026
Valuation history
Stored readings only. The dashed line is this company's own median for the selected measure.
Only one stored valuation reading exists so far, so there is nothing to chart yet. Valuation history builds forward from activation rather than being reconstructed.
Current P/E 40.3x · own median 35.5x · peer median 23.0x
Valuation is inherently uncertain. A stock that appears inexpensive can continue falling, and a stock that appears expensive can continue rising. Valuation Intelligence provides context about the price investors are paying — it does not predict short-term market movements, and it never produces a fair value, a price target or a buy or sell range. Model VALUATION_INTELLIGENCE_V1.
Sixth research lens · outside the score
Capital Returns Intelligence
Capital Returns Intelligence
How effectively does the company reward shareholders?
Capital Returns Intelligence is researched separately and contributes 0% to the Suggested Investment Score, the daily rank or any ranking event.
60/ 100
Favorable Capital Returns
RESEARCH MODEL
Excellent coverage
Dividend Quality
93
Exceptional Capital Returns
Dividend reliability
Buyback Effectiveness
51
Moderate Capital Returns
Do buybacks actually reduce shares?
Dilution Control
50
Moderate Capital Returns
Is your ownership share protected?
Capital Return Sustainability
48
Moderate Capital Returns
Can the cash flow support it?
Shareholder Yield
46
Moderate Capital Returns
Cash returned versus company value
CINTAS CORP reads 60 out of 100 on Capital Returns Intelligence (Favorable Capital Returns), reflecting a dividend that has grown about 20.4% a year and a share count falling about 0.6% a year.
How returned cash was used
Dividends $701.49M · net repurchases $948.30M · total returned $1.65B · 88% of free cash flow
Price data through September 11, 2026 · Financial data through the quarter ended May 31, 2026
Capital returns history
Stored readings only. History builds forward from activation rather than being reconstructed.
Only one stored reading exists for this measure so far, so there is nothing to chart yet.
Why higher yield isn't always better
A very high dividend yield may reflect a falling share price or an unsustainable payout. Capital Returns Intelligence emphasizes consistency and sustainability rather than simply rewarding the highest yield.
Why buybacks can be misleading
Announced or gross buyback spending does not always mean shareholders are gaining ownership. Companies can simultaneously issue shares through employee compensation or acquisitions. Suggested Investments therefore considers actual share-count changes alongside repurchase spending.
What these terms mean
- Dividend Yield
- The annual dividend relative to the current share price.
- Payout Ratio
- The share of company earnings used to pay dividends.
- Free Cash Flow Payout
- How much of the company's available cash is being used for dividends.
- Share Repurchases
- When a company buys back its own stock.
- Dilution
- When the number of shares increases, reducing each existing share's percentage ownership of the company.
- Shareholder Yield
- A combined view of dividends and net share repurchases relative to the company's market value.
Capital Returns Intelligence describes how a company returns capital to shareholders. It is not a measure of stock-price performance, it does not predict future returns, and a strong reading is never a recommendation to buy. Dividends and repurchases can be reduced or stopped at any time. Model CAPITAL_RETURNS_INTELLIGENCE_V1, contributing 0% to the Suggested Investment Score.
Stored daily snapshots only
Ranking history
| Today | #119 | Score 67 |
|---|---|---|
| 30 days ago | Not ranked | No stored score |
| 90 days ago | Not ranked | No stored score |
| First suggested | September 12, 2026 | |
| Highest rank | #119 | |
In the company’s own words
What this company does
Cintas Corporation (Cintas, Company, we, us or our), a Washington corporation, helps more than one million businesses of all types and sizes, primarily in the United States (U.S.), as well as Canada and Latin America, get READY to open their doors with confidence every day by providing a wide range of products and services that enhance our customers’ image and help keep their facilities and employees clean, safe and looking their best. With products and services including uniforms, mats, mops, shop towels, restroom supplies, workplace water services, first aid and safety products, automated external defibrillators (AEDs), eye-wash stations, safety training, fire extinguishers, sprinkler systems and alarm testing, Cintas helps customers get Ready for the Workday . Cintas was founded in 1968 by Richard T. Farmer when he left his family's industrial laundry business in order to develop uniform programs using an exclusive new fabric. In the early 1970's, Cintas acquired the family industrial laundry business. Over the years, Cintas developed additional products and services that complemented its core uniform business and broadened the scope of products and services available to its customers.
Cintas’ reportable operating segments are the Uniform Rental and Facility Services operating segment and the First Aid and Safety Services operating segment. The Uniform Rental and Facility Services reportable operating segment consists of the rental and servicing of uniforms and other garments, including flame resistant clothing, mats, mops and shop towels and other ancillary items. In addition to these rental items, restroom cleaning services and supplies and the sale of items from our catalogs to our customers on route are included within this reportable operating segment. The First Aid and Safety Services reportable operating segment consists of first aid and safety products and services, as well as workplace water services. The remainder of Cintas’ business, which consists of the Fire Protection Services operating segment and the Uniform Direct Sale operating segment, is included in All Other.
The following table sets forth Cintas' total revenue and the revenue derived from each reportable operating segment and the remaining operating segments included in All Other for the fiscal years ended May 31:
Additional information regarding each reportable operating segment and All Other is also included in "Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data," in Note 14 entitled Operating Segment Information of "Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements."
Quoted from the business section of this company’s 10-K filed July 29, 2026. Read the filing
Four distinct intelligence areas
The IA view
Risk Intelligence
Production core
79
Fundamentally Qualified
+2.4 vs Jun 30, 2026
Business Quality qualification score from the locked IA Defensive Research Core. Price Risk stays a separate category and is never blended in.
As of Sep 11, 2026
Long-Term Potential
Research model
68
Elite Compounder
+32.2 vs Jun 30, 2026
Durable business economics and reinvestment characteristics. Independent external validation is pending.
As of Sep 11, 2026
Fundamental Momentum
Research model
54
Middle
+17.6 vs Jun 30, 2026
Direction and breadth of change in underlying business fundamentals. Not a price-momentum signal.
As of Sep 11, 2026
Elite Investor Activity
Supplemental
50
Mid range
0 vs Jun 30, 2026
Only 4 tracked managers disclosed a position — treat as limited coverage.
As of Sep 11, 2026
Company intelligence
CTAS score history
Each area is measured and reported separately. No combined score exists.
CTAS intelligence history from 2023-09-30 to 2026-09-11. Risk Intelligence 78.7 on 2026-09-11, up 2.4 from 76.3 on 2026-06-30. Long-Term Potential 68.2 on 2026-09-11, up 32.2 from 36 on 2026-06-30. Fundamental Momentum 54.2 on 2026-09-11, up 17.6 from 36.6 on 2026-06-30. Elite Investor Activity 50 on 2026-09-11, unchanged 0 from 50 on 2026-06-30. Each area is reported separately and is never combined into a single score.
Risk Intelligence 78.7 as of Sep 11, 2026 (+2.4 vs prior period) · Production core
Long-Term Potential 68.2 as of Sep 11, 2026 (+32.2 vs prior period) · Research model
Fundamental Momentum 54.2 as of Sep 11, 2026 (+17.6 vs prior period) · Research model
Elite Investor Activity 50 as of Sep 11, 2026 (0 vs prior period) · Supplemental
Share price
CTAS price history
Closing prices adjusted for splits and dividends, through Sep 11, 2026. Past prices do not indicate future results.
- 6M change
- +4.8%
- 1Y change
- -0.5%
- 3Y change
- +60.7%
- 5Y change
- +111.3%
- Max change
- +217.2%
Last stored close $201.50 · -0.5% over the selected range · 52 sessions shown
Balanced evidence
Why IA likes it
- Business Quality meets the frozen IA Defensive qualification.
- More disclosed holders are new or increasing than reducing or exiting.
Risk and uncertainty
What IA doesn’t like
- The Fundamental Momentum research model shows deterioration.
What would change our view
- Business Quality falling below the frozen qualification threshold.
- Price Risk moving to a less favorable category.
- A sustained reversal in the Fundamental Momentum research evidence.
- New material public ownership disclosures.
Public filings · descriptive only
Elite Investor Activity
Reporting holders
1
New holders
1
Increasing
0
Reducing
0
Exiting
0
Coverage
Excellent
Positive disclosed activity · Report period 2016-12-31 · Public 12/22/2023
| Manager | Change | Portfolio weight | Rank | Disclosed |
|---|
Insufficient high-confidence manager coverage.
Objective stored changes
What changed
- Risk Intelligence
IA Defensive weakened
Business Quality qualification score moved from 76.3 to 73.0.
- Risk Intelligence
Price Risk category changed
Price Risk moved from Not Available to Lower risk.
- Long-Term Potential
IA Compounder strengthened
IA Compounder research score moved from 36.0 to 56.1.
- Fundamental Momentum
Fundamental Momentum improved
Fundamental Momentum research score moved from 36.6 to 53.5.
- Risk Intelligence
IA Defensive improved
Business Quality qualification score moved from 69.4 to 76.3.
- Long-Term Potential
IA Compounder softened
IA Compounder research score moved from 63.5 to 36.0.
- Elite Investor Activity
Elite Investor Consensus weakened
Disclosed agreement among tracked managers moved from 60 to 50 for the reporting period ending 2026-06-30.
- Elite Investor Activity
Elite Investor Consensus strengthened
Disclosed agreement among tracked managers moved from 40 to 60 for the reporting period ending 2026-03-31.
- Elite Investor Activity
Elite Investor Consensus strengthened
Disclosed agreement among tracked managers moved from 25 to 40 for the reporting period ending 2025-12-31.
- Elite Investor Activity
Elite Investor Consensus weakened
Disclosed agreement among tracked managers moved from 75 to 25 for the reporting period ending 2025-09-30.
Ownership timeline
No high-confidence public ownership events are available.
General research only. Not personalized advice. Public filings may be delayed, amended, incomplete, or reflect positions that have changed since the reporting date.