Cintas Raises Quarterly Dividend to $0.52 per Share From $0.45
Key Facts
Cintas’s board approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.52 per common share on Oct. 27, 2026, raising the previous quarterly payment of $0.45. The company said in a statement that the dividend will be paid Dec. 15 to shareholders of record at the close of business on Nov. 13. The announcement follows revenue and net income growth in the first quarter of fiscal 2027. These figures distinguish the new dividend from the total paid by the company during fiscal 2026, which was $1.80 per share. Any future dividends remain subject to board approval, with decisions influenced by operating results, financial condition, capital requirements and other factors, the board said.
Total dividends declared and paid per share were $1.80 in fiscal 2026, compared with $1.56 in fiscal 2025. That total reflects the annual payment trajectory, while the newly announced $0.52 represents a single quarterly payment. The previous quarterly payment was $0.45, providing a basis for comparing the new announcement with the prior quarter’s dividend policy. Cintas said it has raised its dividend every year since its initial public offering in 1983, describing the streak as spanning 43 years through the October 2026 announcement. The new decision therefore forms part of an ongoing policy of increasing annual dividends, while the timing and amount of payments remain subject to board decisions.
The dividend announcement coincided with quarterly results showing revenue rose to $3.01 billion in the first quarter of fiscal 2027, from $2.72 billion in the year-earlier period, an annual increase of 10.9%. Organic revenue growth was 8.9%, the company said, adding that its employee-partners delivered record revenue and a record operating margin for the quarter. Gross margin rose to 51.5% from 50.3% a year earlier, while operating income increased 15.2% to $711.9 million. Net income was $551.7 million, up 12.3% from the year-earlier period. “We are pleased with our start to fiscal 2027,” Chief Executive Todd Schneider said, adding that the company delivered record revenue, a record operating margin and organic revenue growth of 8.9%.
Cintas raised its fiscal 2027 outlook, setting a revenue range of $12.15 billion to $12.27 billion and adjusted diluted earnings per share of $5.45 to $5.54. The company said the outlook excludes the expected impact of its proposed acquisition of UniFirst. The proposed deal, announced by Cintas, adds another avenue for deploying capital alongside dividends and share repurchases, while its completion remains subject to regulatory reviews. The company had said fiscal 2027 includes one additional workday compared with fiscal 2026. The market is now watching the Nov. 13 record date and the Dec. 15 payment, while the annual financial outlook continues to exclude the expected impact of the deal.
Cintas shares closed at $212.81 on Oct. 28, 2026, according to EL7 data. The close came the day after the board announced the new quarterly dividend. The company’s results link sales growth with improved margins and operating income in the first quarter of fiscal 2027, alongside an increase in its annual outlook. The company said, however, that its revenue and earnings-per-share outlook excludes the expected impact of the proposed UniFirst deal. The announced payment remains set at $0.52 per share, to reach eligible shareholders in December according to the record and payment dates announced by Cintas.