Cintas Corporation
CTAS - NASDAQ - $169.25 ▲ +%1.41
-
Earnings
Thu 16 Jul
Cintas opens the
books on Thursday evening.
2 analysts' median target is $228[FMP target], stock is $169, +34.7% upside potential. After Q2 +0.0% EPS beat[FMP earnings], the stock moved -4.5%.
↓
summary below
Quick Take - in 40 seconds
B+
BUY
Council 4/6
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Moonshot 44
B+ = MoonshotScore 44[9-pillar formula] + Council 4/6[6-lens rule]. Form 4: 0 transactions[FMP Form 4].
Q4 consensus: revenue $2.9B[FMP est], EPS $1.24[FMP est]. 0 consecutive quarters of beat[FMP earnings].
$1.24
EPS Estimate
Last year $1.09 - +14% YoY YoY
-
Uniform Rental Facility Services Guidance
Previous quarter was 0%
0
Beat Streak
Expectations beaten consecutively for the last 0 quarters
Q2 EPS +0.0% beat[FMP] but the stock -4.5% D+1[FMP D+1]. Scott Gurule promised $90.9M CapEx + a sequential decline in Q4 during the Q2 earnings call[Scott Gurule capex transcript].
$11.15 billion
Expectation / Guide
Fy26 Revenue Guidance
fy26_revenue_guidance
Cintas is raising its fiscal 2026 revenue guidance to a range of $11.15 billion to $11.22 billion.
"We expect our revenue to be in the range of $11.15 billion to $11.22 billion, a total growth rate of 7.8% to 8.5%."
- Todd Schneider, President and Chief Executive Officer - Q2 FY26 Earnings Call - December 18, 2025
$4.81
Expectation / Guide
Fy26 Eps Guidance
fy26_eps_guidance
Cintas is raising its fiscal 2026 diluted EPS guidance to a range of $4.81 to $4.88.
"We expect diluted EPS to be in the range of $4.81 to $4.88, a growth rate of 9.3% to 10.9%."
- Todd Schneider, President and Chief Executive Officer - Q2 FY26 Earnings Call - December 18, 2025
$622.5 million
Investor Focus
Share Repurchase Program
share_repurchase_program
Cintas repurchased $622.5 million of Cintas shares in the second quarter, marking the third-largest share repurchase in a quarter.
"Also during the second quarter and as of December 17, we were active in the buyback program with repurchases of $622.5 million of Cintas shares. That is the third largest share repurchase we've made in a quarter."
- Scott Garula, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer - Q2 FY26 Earnings Call - December 18, 2025
Stock Expert AI - Methodology
Do our 9 pillars, 7 perspectives, and Munger lens point in the same direction?
MoonshotScore
44 / 100
9-pillar methodology. Cash Runway strong. Revenue Growth weak.
How is it calculated? ->
Revenue Growth3.0
Q3 vs Q4: moderate growth (+6.5%)
Gross Margin5.0
Q3: high margin (51.0%)
Operating Leverage2.0
op margin healthy (23.2%)
Cash Runway10.0
FCF very strong ($0.5B, 5.8x CapEx)
R&D Intensity3.0
low R&D investment (0.3%, weak innovation)
Price Momentum4.0
RSI 37.5 weak momentum, 50d below
News Sentiment4.0
mixed (43% buy)
Council Score
4 / 6 Bullish
6 investor frameworks. 4 bullish (Ray Dalio, Klarman, Buffett, Munger), 1 bearish (Ken Griffin), 1 neutral (Jim Simons).
How is it calculated? ->
Ray Dalio macro - target upside +34.7%
Ken Griffin flow - 50d MA below
Jim Simons quant - RSI 37
Klarman value - target upside +34.7%
Buffett quality - ROE score 5/5
Munger valuation - target upside +34.7%
Munger's Mindset character & balance sheet lens
Undervalued
Quality business, discounted price.
How is it calculated? ->
Interest CoverageAdequate
Technical Levels - Pre-earnings positioning
What levels is the stock being tested at?
RSI(14)
37.5
RSI 37.5 weak momentum, 50d below
MACD
-7.10
price below 50d - resistance dominant
50d MA
$182
stock 7.1% below - short-term resistance
200d MA
$194
stock 12.7% below - long-term pressure
Volume (10d)
-14%
decrease - low participation
Resistance
$228
Analyst median target - upgrade trigger if broken
Current
$169
Pre-earnings position
Support
$165
Invalidation - close below this is a technical breakdown
Pattern
Range
$165-$228 band - earnings breakout/breakdown trigger
Past Performance
Cintas's last 8 quarters: 0 consecutive beats.
BEAT
Q4 FY25
$1.09 vs $1.07 est - +0.0%
BEAT
Q1 FY26
$1.20 vs $1.19 est - +1.0%
BEAT
Q2 FY26
$1.21 vs $1.20 est - -1.2%
MISS
Q3 FY26
$1.24 vs $1.24 est - -4.5%
Q2 (December 18, 2025): EPS $1.24 vs $1.24 est[FMP], +0.0% beat. D+1 movement: -4.5%[FMP D+1]. Decline despite beat - market reacted to guidance, not numbers.
Three scenarios: what could happen?
EPS < $1.20 (no guidance)
Q2: EPS $1.24 vs $1.24 beat[FMP], stock -4.5% D+1[FMP].
"-"
- Scott Gurule, CFO - Q2 FY26 Earnings Call - December 18, 2025
Backlog concentration
No RPO/backlog concentration disclosed in Q2 earnings call.
Insider trading signal
Form 4 data is marked in the table - this page does not generate assumptions for this stock.
Our FMP plan does not provide Form 4 insider feed for this stock. This page does not generate assumptions - SEC EDGAR Form 4 can be monitored directly.
CapEx shock
Q2 CapEx $90.9M[FMP cashflow]. Q2 op margin 23.2%[FMP op margin] - this level in Q4 is sensitive to CapEx revision risk.
"-"
- Scott Gurule, CFO - Q2 FY26 Earnings Call - December 18, 2025
Framework - Position discipline
After the data arrives: 3 scenarios, 3 windows
Not advice - a structural framework for earnings night. Decision discipline is yours.
Scenario A - Beat
Q4 EPS > $1.24 + CapEx discipline
Threshold: EPS > $1.24[FMP est].
Target: Break above median target $228[FMP target]; high target $250[FMP] upper bound.
Scenario B - In-Line
EPS approx $1.24 + CapEx < $90.9M
Threshold: EPS approx $1.24[FMP est], Q4 CapEx < $90.9M[FMP].
Target: Consolidation in the band between current $169[FMP] and median $228[FMP].
Scenario C - Miss
EPS < $1.20 or CapEx >= $90.9M
Threshold: EPS < $1.20[FMP estx0.97].
Target: Current $169 below SMA200 $194[FMP], if rejection continues, $165[derived] support activates.
Sizing
Earnings volatility -> max portfolio 1-2%. Waiting for earnings is not a gamble, it's a position entrustment.
Timing
IV crush within 24 hours post-earnings. Waiting for premium decay makes options preferable to spot.
Staging
Don't go all-in at once, divide into 3: initial reaction, 24 hours later, after Friday's close.
Market Outlook
What do 2 analysts say?
Wall Street Consensus
$228
12-month median target price (+34.7% upside potential)
Risk Management
$165
Invalidation level - critical support threshold
$182 - 50-day MA (below, -7.1%)
$194 - 200-day MA (below, -12.7%)
IV Crush risk (sudden drop in inflated option premiums before earnings): Option premiums are inflated before earnings.
Verdict - CTAS Q4 FY26
B+
You read it in 5 minutes. When the numbers come out on Thursday evening - you know what you're looking at.
Data arrives at night. The framework is ready now.
Data arrives on Thursday evening. The framework is ready on this page: Q4 EPS threshold $1.24[FMP], CapEx threshold "below $90.9M"[Scott Gurule]. Two anchors, three scenarios.
Comparison
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3 subscriptions. 1 platform.
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Trendspider $400/yr - AI pattern detection + automated TA + multi-timeframe alerts
Prices as of April 2026. Sources: seekingalpha.com/subscriptions - tipranks.com/pricing - trendspider.com/pricing
Stock Expert AI Pro: $24/month ($240/year). Council 7-lens analysis + MoonshotScore 9-pillar + Insider tracker + Technical levels - all in one platform, for every stock.
Educational tool, not investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Calendar
Catalyst Calendar - 90-day forward look
Jul 16, 2026EARNINGSQ4 FY26 results (after market close) + earnings call
Jul 17, 2026PRICEFirst trading day after earnings - 200dMA test + IV crush
Aug 30, 2026FILING10-Q deadline - segment breakdown + RPO detail (SEC rule: quarter-end + 45 days)
~Oct 16, 2026EARNINGSQ1 FY27 (next quarter, date not yet scheduled in FMP)
DATA GAP: Events not in the FMP /stable/calendar feed - Investor day, analyst day, product launches, regulatory dates. These require company IR page scraping or manual calendar entry.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the CTAS earnings preview cover?
This CTAS (CTAS) earnings preview covers the analyst consensus, key catalysts, and what to watch on the earnings call.
What should investors watch for in CTAS earnings?
Consensus EPS, revenue guidance, segment growth rates, and the tone of management commentary — the full breakdown with sources is on this page.