Cintas Corporation
Q3 2026 Earnings
Market Reaction
S&P 500 over the same 30 days: +8.88%.
Did CTAS Beat Earnings? Q3 2026 Results
Cintas Corporation delivered a clean beat across both top and bottom lines in its fiscal third quarter of 2026, extending its EPS consensus beat streak to four consecutive quarters as the uniform and workplace services giant navigated a pivotal period marked by its announced $5.5 billion acquisition of UniFirst. The company posted earnings of $1.24 per diluted share, edging past the $1.24 consensus estimate by 0.40%, while revenue climbed 8.9% year over year to a record $2.84 billion, ahead of the $2.82 billion analysts had expected. The standout driver was an all-time high gross margin of 51.0%, up 40 basis points from the prior year, reflecting broad-based strength across all three route-based business segments. With the UniFirst deal drawing investor scrutiny around integration and regulatory clearance, management paired the results with raised full-year guidance, lifting its adjusted diluted EPS range to $4.86 to $4.90 and annual revenue expectations to $11.21 billion to $11.24 billion, signaling confidence in core business momentum heading into the second half of fiscal 2026.
- 8.2% organic revenue growth rate for the quarter
- All-time high total gross margin of 51.0%, up 40 basis points year-over-year
- All-time high gross margins in each of three route-based businesses
- Investments in technology, capacity, and talent driving results
- Diversified customer base across more than one million businesses
- Lower effective tax rate of 20.6% compared to 21.0% in prior year quarter
“We delivered another successful quarter with record revenues and strong operating margins. Our 8.2% organic growth and all-time high gross margins in each of our three route-based businesses reflect the outstanding performance of our employee-partners and the clear impact of our investments in technology, capacity and talent. These results continue to showcase the strength and resilience of Cintas' value proposition.”
Cintas CEO, on the earnings call
Forward Guidance & Outlook
Cintas raised its full fiscal year 2026 guidance. Annual revenue expectations were increased to a range of $11.21 billion to $11.24 billion, and adjusted diluted EPS was raised to a range of $4.86 to $4.90. Guidance excludes expected impacts from the pending UniFirst acquisition and does not assume any future acquisitions. It assumes constant foreign currency exchange rates. Fiscal year 2026 net interest expense is expected to be approximately $101.0 million (up from $95.5 million in fiscal 2025), primarily due to refinancing senior notes at a higher rate and higher variable rate interest from commercial paper related to buyback activity. The effective tax rate is expected to be 20.0%. Adjusted diluted EPS guidance excludes estimated non-recurring UniFirst transaction costs, which are expected to impact diluted EPS by $0.03 to $0.04 in fiscal year 2026.
CTAS YoY Financials
CTAS Revenue by Segment
Figures from SEC filings and company reports. Not investment advice.