Up to date on February twentieth, 2025 by Felix Martinez
Most dividend progress buyers purpose for rising dividend revenue over time. We consider the easiest way to realize that is to concentrate on high-quality dividend progress shares.
For the best-in-class dividend progress shares, think about investing within the Dividend Aristocrats, a choose group of 69 corporations within the S&P 500 Index with 25+ consecutive years of dividend will increase.
You’ll be able to see a full downloadable spreadsheet of all 69 Dividend Aristocrats, together with a number of vital monetary metrics comparable to dividend yields and price-to-earnings ratios, by clicking on the hyperlink under:
Disclaimer: Certain Dividend is just not affiliated with S&P World in any method. S&P World owns and maintains The Dividend Aristocrats Index. The data on this article and downloadable spreadsheet is predicated on Certain Dividend’s personal evaluate, abstract, and evaluation of the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats ETF (NOBL) and different sources, and is supposed to assist particular person buyers higher perceive this ETF and the index upon which it’s based mostly. Not one of the data on this article or spreadsheet is official information from S&P World. Seek the advice of S&P World for official data.
We evaluate all 69 Dividend Aristocrats every year, and the subsequent inventory within the 2025 sequence is Cintas Company (CTAS). Cintas is a high-growth dividend inventory. It has raised its dividend 42 years in a row, together with a 15.6% improve in 2024.
Cintas raises its dividend every year, however its present yield is simply 0.8%, notably under that of the broader S&P 500 Index.
As well as, Cintas inventory has an especially excessive valuation resulting from a rising share worth. This text will evaluate Cintas in larger element.
Enterprise Overview
Cintas Company began in 1929 beneath the title Acme Industrial Laundry Firm. It was based by Richard “Doc” Farmer, who began accumulating chemical-soaked rags from factories and cleansing them for a payment.
After graduating from faculty, Doc Farmer’s grandson, Richard T. Farmer, joined the corporate in 1956. After gaining sufficient expertise, he left the household enterprise to begin Cintas in 1968.
In the present day, it’s the largest firm in its trade, producing annual income in extra of $10 billion.
Cintas designs and manufactures company uniforms, entrance mats, restroom provides, fireplace safety, and first assist merchandise. The corporate has a big and diversified buyer base, which incorporates greater than 1 million companies in North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia.
Cintas is definitely a progress firm and has been for a very long time. As a consequence of its aggressive benefits, it ought to proceed to develop within the years forward.
Supply: Investor Presentation
Progress Prospects
Cintas has loved sturdy progress for the previous a number of years. It noticed significantly excessive progress charges within the years following the Nice Recession, when hiring picked up and the labor market recovered. It once more rapidly recovered from the coronavirus pandemic final 12 months, despite the fact that the unemployment price spiked for an prolonged interval.
The corporate continues to carry out effectively. Cintas reported its fiscal 2025 second-quarter outcomes, exhibiting a income improve of seven.8% to $2.56 billion in comparison with $2.38 billion within the prior-year quarter. Natural income progress, adjusted for acquisitions and foreign money fluctuations, was 7.1%. Gross margin rose 11.8% to $1.28 billion, with gross margin as a share of income enhancing by 180 foundation factors to 49.8%. Decrease vitality bills contributed to the margin growth.
Working revenue elevated by 18.4% to $591.4 million, representing 23.1% of income, up from 21.0% within the earlier 12 months. Web revenue grew 19.7% to $448.5 million, with an efficient tax price of 20.7%. Diluted earnings per share (EPS) rose 21.1% to $1.09, reflecting the impression of a four-for-one inventory cut up. Cintas additionally elevated its quarterly dividend by 14.9% to $158.0 million. CEO Todd Schneider highlighted sturdy execution and the corporate’s worth proposition in driving these outcomes.
Cintas up to date its fiscal 2025 steering, elevating its income projection to a spread of $10.255 billion to $10.320 billion and its diluted EPS estimate to $4.28–$4.34. The outlook assumes no future acquisitions, a secure international alternate price, and no main financial disruptions. As a consequence of increased variable-rate debt, curiosity bills are anticipated to rise to $101.0 million, whereas the efficient tax price is projected at 20.2%. Regardless of two fewer workdays in fiscal 2025, Cintas expects continued sturdy monetary efficiency.
In whole, we see 9% common annual earnings-per-share progress within the subsequent 5 years for Cintas.
Aggressive Benefits & Recession Efficiency
Cintas’s distinct working benefit is its huge distribution community, which incorporates greater than 11,000 native supply routes.
It’s the largest firm in its trade, which supplies it market management. It will be very tough for a brand new competitor to enter the market and attempt to disrupt Cintas’ enterprise mannequin, much more so after the G&Okay buy. This helps maintain competitors at bay as Cintas has a extremely entrenched buyer base. Its distribution capabilities and status for high quality present Cintas with excessive margins.
Whereas Cintas is a high-growth enterprise, it is usually reliant on a wholesome international economic system. When the economic system goes into recession, corporations rent much less and sometimes scale back headcount. This leads to decreased demand for the merchandise Cintas manufactures. Cintas had a tough time rising earnings-per-share through the Nice Recession, even supposing the recession formally resulted in 2010.
The corporate’s earnings-per-share for 2008-2010 are proven under:
2007 earnings-per-share of $2.09
2008 earnings-per-share of $2.15 (2.9% improve)
2009 earnings-per-share of $1.83 (15% decline)
2010 earnings-per-share of $1.49 (19% decline)
As you possibly can see, Cintas struggled throughout 2009 and 2010, with two consecutive years of double-digit earnings declines. This displays how intently the income of the enterprise are tied to the situation of the economic system.
On the similar time, Cintas remained worthwhile, which allowed it to proceed rising dividends every year. The dividend additionally seems to be fairly protected at present ranges.
Valuation & Anticipated Returns
Primarily based on anticipated earnings-per-share of $4.32 for fiscal 2025, Cintas inventory trades for a price-to-earnings ratio of about 47.7. This can be a very excessive valuation in opposition to the broader market and Cintas’ personal historic valuations. Our honest worth estimate is a P/E ratio of 37 for Cintas inventory.
Due to this fact, CTAS inventory seems to be considerably over-valued proper now.
If the inventory have been to return to our honest worth estimate price-to-earnings ratio over the subsequent 5 years, shares would decline by about 5% yearly resulting from a number of valuation contractions.
Consequently, Cintas is considerably overvalued. Earnings-per-share progress (anticipated at 9% yearly) and the 0.8% dividend yield will offset the damaging returns from a falling valuation a number of. However total, whole returns are estimated at simply 4.8% per 12 months over the subsequent 5 years.
Cintas’ valuation in the present day is excessive, and we consider buyers ought to keep away from the inventory in consequence.
Last Ideas
Cintas is a really sturdy firm with excessive earnings and dividend progress charges. Nevertheless, Cintas seems to be buying and selling at a quite elevated valuation, with shares standing resilient in opposition to the general market’s sell-off over the previous 12 months.
One other consequence of shares hitting new all-time highs constantly lately is that the inventory has a low dividend yield under the common of the S&P 500 Index.
Whereas the corporate has a safe dividend payout with room for future dividend will increase, the inventory is overvalued. We price it a maintain regardless of its superior fundamentals solely due to the elevated valuation.
Moreover, the next Certain Dividend databases comprise probably the most dependable dividend growers in our funding universe:
For those who’re in search of shares with distinctive dividend traits, think about the next Certain Dividend databases:
The key home inventory market indices are one other strong useful resource for locating funding concepts. Certain Dividend compiles the next inventory market databases and updates them month-to-month:
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