Buffett Brain · Research note
Score updated 27 Sept 2026 · analysis from 27 Jul 2026
CTAS· Industrials
Cintas
Cintas Corporation boasts strong profitability metrics but faces valuation challenges with a P/E of 35.2, limiting its attractiveness as a long-term investment.
Buffett fit
Strong fit
Owner
68
Durability
94
Management
81
Price
9
Score updated 27 Sept 2026 · analysis from 27 Jul 2026
Buffett's checklist
Each number against Buffett's bar, and where it ranks among Industrials stocks in our database.
How much profit the business makes on each dollar invested in it. Higher is better.
What is left of each sale after the cost of making the product. A high number often means pricing power.
The cash the business earns for its owners, compared with the price of the whole company.
How fast sales grew each year over the last five years.
How many years of today's profit you pay for at today's price. Lower means cheaper.
How much the company owes compared with what it owns outright. Lower is safer.
The four pillars
How the business measures up on each of Buffett's four tests.
If I owned Cintas outright, I'd focus on maintaining its strong margins, which sit at 50.4%, while managing growth in the face of rising competition.
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Cintas has demonstrated durability with consistent profitability over the past five years, achieving a 94% durability score.
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Cintas has reduced its share count by 0.97% over the past five years and has a yield of 1.21%.
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With an yield of 2.59%, the valuation appears stretched compared to Buffett's preferred threshold of 8-10%.
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- The 5-year price target and the return it implies
- What would change the call
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For and against
The strongest points on each side, with the numbers behind them.
In its favor
5- 1 of 23.17% comfortably exceeds the sector top-quintile cutoff of 13.6%.
- 2 of 50.36% is significantly above the sector's top-quintile of 43.4%.
- 3 of 22.95% leads the sector where the top-quintile cutoff is 17.8%.
- 4Five-year EPS CAGR of 14.24% demonstrates strong earnings growth potential.
Concerns
5- 1 of 35.2 is well above a reasonable threshold, suggesting overvaluation.
- 2 yield of 2.59% falls short of the 8-10% target for a .
- 3High valuation metrics (EV/ of 30.0) could lead to multiple compression.
- 4The market cap increase of 7.87 times retained earnings suggests inefficiencies in .
Price history
$193+91.7%· 5-year return
Weekly closing prices. Touch or hover the line for a date.
The business
How the business works
Cintas provides corporate identity uniforms and related services, generating $10.34B in revenue with a of 50.36%. The company operates through a distribution network, servicing various businesses. Its model is resilient, with a focus on through rental contracts and service agreements.
How this analysis has moved
The call has held across 2 reviews.
Sep 27, 2026 → Oct 4, 2026
What other investors would say
The same company, judged by three other documented playbooks.
Keep researching
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