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Cintas Set to Report Q1 Earnings: Here's What to Expect

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Key Takeaways

  • CTAS Q1 revenues are estimated at $2.69B, up 7.7%, with EPS expected to rise 8.2% year over year.
  • Uniform Rental sales seen up 7.3%, while the First Aid segment revenues are projected to surge 15.1%.
  • Paris Uniform and SITEX acquisitions expected to strengthen CTAS' top line and market reach.

Cintas Corporation (CTAS - Free Report) is scheduled to release first-quarter fiscal 2026 (ended August 2025) results on Sept. 24, before market open.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CTAS’ fiscal first-quarter revenues is pegged at $2.69 billion, indicating growth of 7.7% from the prior-year quarter’s figure. The consensus mark for earnings is pinned at $1.19 per share, which has been stable in the past 60 days. The figure indicates growth of 8.2% from the year-ago quarter's figure.

The company has a stellar earnings surprise history, having outperformed the consensus estimate in each of the preceding four quarters, the average beat being 6.9%. In the last reported quarter, its earnings of $1.09 per share beat the consensus estimate of $1.07 by 1.9%.

Let’s see how things have shaped up before Cintas’ fiscal first-quarter earnings release.

Factors to Note Ahead of CTAS’ Results

Strong growth in new customers and penetration of additional products and services into existing customers are expected to have driven the Uniform Rental and Facility Services segment’s performance in the fiscal first quarter. We expect segmental revenues to be $2.07 billion, implying an increase of 7.3% from the year-ago level.

Solid demand for the company’s AED Rentals, eyewash stations and WaterBreak products is likely to have supported the performance of the First Aid and Safety Services segment. Also, strong customer retention levels and an improved sales mix are likely to have boded well for the segment. We expect this segment’s revenues to be $336.6 million, implying an increase of 15.1% from the year-ago number.

Also, synergistic gains from the acquisitions of Paris Uniform Services (March 2024) and SITEX (February 2024) are expected to have boosted Cintas’ top line in the to-be-reported quarter. While the Paris Uniform Services buyout has strengthened CTAS’ market presence in Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland and West Virginia, the SITEX acquisition has enhanced its footprint in the U.S. central Midwest region.

CTAS’ margin performance is expected to have been supported by its focus on operational execution and pricing actions. We expect the operating margin to improve 100 basis points in the fiscal first quarter from the prior-year level.

Despite the positives, rising costs of sales and selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses are likely to weigh on the company’s bottom-line results. For the quarter under review, we anticipate SG&A expenses to be approximately $746 million, indicating an 8% increase from the year-ago level.

Given Cintas’ extensive geographic presence, its operations are subject to global political risks and foreign exchange headwinds. A stronger U.S. dollar is likely to have hurt CTAS’ overseas business in the quarter.

Cintas Corporation Price and EPS Surprise

Cintas Corporation Price and EPS Surprise

Cintas Corporation price-eps-surprise | Cintas Corporation Quote

Earnings Whispers

Our proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for CTAS this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is not the case here, as elaborated below.

Earnings ESP: CTAS has an Earnings ESP of 0.00% as both the Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate are pegged at $1.19 per share. You can uncover the best stocks before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Zacks Rank: CTAS presently carries a Zacks Rank of 3. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Stocks to Consider

Here are some companies within the broader Business Services sector, which according to our model, have the right combination of elements to beat on earnings in this reporting cycle.

Xylem Inc. (XYL - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +1.64% and a Zacks Rank of 2 at present. The company is slated to release third-quarter 2025 results on Oct. 30.

Xylem’s earnings surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate thrice and met once in the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 6.1%.

Veralto Corporation (VLTO - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +0.26% and a Zacks Rank of 2 at present. The company is scheduled to release third-quarter 2025 results on Oct. 22.

Veralto’s earnings surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the preceding four quarters, the average surprise being 6.3%.

Global Payments (GPN - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of + 0.49% and a Zacks Rank of 3 at present. The company is slated to release third-quarter 2025 results on Oct. 29.

Global Payments’ earnings surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate twice in the trailing four quarters and missed in the other two, the average surprise being 1.5%.

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