Richard Sloan from the University of Michigan was first to document what is referred to as the "accrual anomaly". His 1996 paper found that shares of companies with small or negative accruals vastly outperform (+10%) those of companies with large ones.
Cintas's Sloan Ratio for the quarter that ended in Feb. 2026 was 2.83%.
As of Feb. 2026, Cintas has a Sloan Ratio of 2.83%, indicating the company is in the safe zone and there is no funny business with accruals.
Cintas (NAS:CTAS) Sloan Ratio % Explanation
A former University of Michigan researcher, Richard Sloan's 1996 paper found that shares of companies with small or negative accruals vastly outperform (+10%) those of companies with large ones. In fact, for the 40-year period between 1962 and 2001, buying the lowest accrual companies and shorting the highest accrual companies resulted in an average annual compounded return of 18%, more than double the S&P 500's 7.4% annual return over the same period.
If the Sloan Ratio is between -10% and 10%, the company is in the safe zone and there is no funny business with accruals.
If the Sloan Ratio is less than between -25% and -10% on the negative side, and between 10% and 25% on the positive side, this is a warning stage of accrual build up.
If the Sloan Ratio is less than -25% or greater than 25%, and this ratio is consistent over several quarters or even years, be careful. Earnings are highly likely to be made up of accruals.
As of Feb. 2026, Cintas has a Sloan Ratio of 2.83%, indicating the company is in the safe zone and there is no funny business with accruals.
Cintas Sloan Ratio % Related Terms
Cintas Sloan Ratio % Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Cintas's Sloan Ratio % can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
For the Specialty Business Services subindustry, Cintas's Sloan Ratio %, along with its competitors' market caps and Sloan Ratio % data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Cintas Sloan Ratio % vs Business Services Industry
For the Business Services industry and Industrials sector, Cintas's Sloan Ratio % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Cintas's Sloan Ratio % falls into.
Earnings contain a lot of non cash earnings which is called accruals. The Sloan ratio is a way to identify firms with low non-cash or accrual-derived earnings relative to their cash flow.
Cintas's Sloan Ratio for the fiscal year that ended in May. 2025 is calculated as
Cintas's Net Income for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Feb. 2026 was 448.256 (May. 2025 ) + 491.14 (Aug. 2025 ) + 495.343 (Nov. 2025 ) + 502.496 (Feb. 2026 ) = $1,937 Mil.
Cintas's Cash Flow from Operations for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Feb. 2026 was 640.318 (May. 2025 ) + 414.481 (Aug. 2025 ) + 531.223 (Nov. 2025 ) + 621.472 (Feb. 2026 ) = $2,207 Mil.
Cintas's Cash Flow from Investing for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Feb. 2026 was -149.266 (May. 2025 ) + -116.227 (Aug. 2025 ) + -192.854 (Nov. 2025 ) + -101.07 (Feb. 2026 ) = $-559 Mil.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Cintas (CTAS) has a Sloan Ratio % of 2.83% as of Feb. 2026. Sloan ratio measures earnings quality based on the amount of accruals. View historical data on Cintas and its competitors.
Is Cintas' Sloan Ratio % too high?
Cintas' current Sloan Ratio % is 2.83%. Overall, Cintas has a GF Score™ of 96/100 and is considered Modestly Undervalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Cintas' Sloan Ratio % compare to CPRT and ULS?
Cintas' Sloan Ratio % of 2.83% can be compared against companies in the Business Services industry. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Sloan Ratio % for a Business Services company?
A good Sloan Ratio % depends on the Business Services industry context. However, Sloan Ratio % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Sloan Ratio % mean?
A high Sloan Ratio % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Sloan ratio measures earnings quality based on the amount of accruals. View historical data on Cintas and its competitors. Cintas's current Sloan Ratio % is 2.83%. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Cintas stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Cintas (CTAS) is currently considered Modestly Undervalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $209.93, compared to a current price of $179.64 — trading 14.4% below its estimated fair value. The current Sloan Ratio % is 2.83%. Cintas' overall GF Score™ is 96/100 with 1 warning sign to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Sloan Ratio % calculated?
Sloan Ratio % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Cintas (CTAS), the current Sloan Ratio % is 2.83% as of Feb. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Cintas (CTAS) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Cintas stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of $179.64 is trading 14.4% below its estimated GF Value™ of $209.93.
GuruFocus considers Cintas to be Modestly Undervalued.
Key valuation signals for CTAS:
Sloan Ratio %: 2.83%
GF Value™: $209.93 vs. price of $179.64 (14.4% below fair value)
No single metric tells the full story. See the CTAS stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Cintas has roots dating back to 1929, when the Farmer family cleaned and resold dirty rags to manufacturing plants in Ohio. The firm has expanded its business organically and through acquisitions, and today Cintas acts as a one-stop outsourcing partner for businesses. Cintas will design, manufacture, collect, and clean every employee uniform for a small weekly sum, taking on the upfront capital expense itself. At the same stop, Cintas can also replace soiled or depleted mats, mops, trash liners, towels, first aid supplies, fire extinguishers, and cleaning products. Businesses value an outsourcing partner like Cintas as it simplifies operations and leaves noncore tasks with high regulatory standards in the hands of professionals.
96GF Score
Get the complete analysis for CTAS
Sloan Ratio % is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
Quick Browse
Personalize
Premium Gurus 
Create New Portfolio
CTAS has been successfully added to your 
