CTAS vs. CW: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at CTAS and CW, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Profile
| Symbol | CTAS | CW |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Cintas Corporation | Curtiss-Wright Corporation |
| Country | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| GICS Industry | Commercial Services & Supplies | Aerospace & Defense |
| Market Capitalization | 90.71 billion USD | 18.72 billion USD |
| Exchange | NasdaqGS | NYSE |
| Listing Date | August 19, 1983 | March 17, 1980 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of CTAS and CW by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period. Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.
Historical Performance at a Glance
| Symbol | CTAS | CW |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Day Price Return | 0.76% | 4.93% |
| 13-Week Price Return | 3.74% | 28.25% |
| 26-Week Price Return | 10.19% | 41.82% |
| 52-Week Price Return | 18.53% | 66.34% |
| Month-to-Date Return | 1.15% | 1.34% |
| Year-to-Date Return | 23.21% | 39.99% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 1.34M | 0.46M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 1.61M | 0.33M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 17.15% | 26.81% |
| Beta | 1.02 | 1.14 |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
CTAS
41.21%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 31.93%
- Q3
- 18.03%
- Median
- 9.43%
- Q1
- 6.44%
- Min
- -9.69%
CTAS’s Return on Equity of 41.21% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.
CW
17.68%
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 43.89%
- Q3
- 22.42%
- Median
- 12.50%
- Q1
- 5.21%
- Min
- -6.24%
CW’s Return on Equity of 17.68% is on par with the norm for the Aerospace & Defense industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
Net Profit Margin (TTM)
CTAS
17.53%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 17.53%
- Q3
- 9.01%
- Median
- 5.20%
- Q1
- 2.75%
- Min
- -2.31%
A Net Profit Margin of 17.53% places CTAS in the upper quartile for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
CW
13.66%
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 14.54%
- Q3
- 8.08%
- Median
- 6.17%
- Q1
- 2.49%
- Min
- -1.63%
A Net Profit Margin of 13.66% places CW in the upper quartile for the Aerospace & Defense industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)
CTAS
22.82%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 23.43%
- Q3
- 12.19%
- Median
- 8.10%
- Q1
- 3.18%
- Min
- -6.03%
An Operating Profit Margin of 22.82% places CTAS in the upper quartile for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
CW
17.71%
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 16.63%
- Q3
- 10.38%
- Median
- 8.29%
- Q1
- 6.21%
- Min
- 0.95%
CW’s Operating Profit Margin of 17.71% is exceptionally high, placing it well above the typical range for the Aerospace & Defense industry. This demonstrates outstanding efficiency in managing its core operations, which can be a result of strong pricing power or superior cost control.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | CTAS | CW |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 41.21% | 17.68% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 19.14% | 9.02% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 17.53% | 13.66% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 22.82% | 17.71% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 50.04% | 37.34% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
CTAS
2.09
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 2.94
- Q3
- 1.89
- Median
- 1.38
- Q1
- 0.87
- Min
- 0.53
CTAS’s Current Ratio of 2.09 is in the upper quartile for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry. This signifies a strong liquidity position, suggesting the company is well-equipped to cover its immediate liabilities compared to its peers.
CW
1.95
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 3.09
- Q3
- 1.98
- Median
- 1.23
- Q1
- 1.03
- Min
- 0.02
CW’s Current Ratio of 1.95 aligns with the median group of the Aerospace & Defense industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)
CTAS
0.52
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 1.67
- Q3
- 1.08
- Median
- 0.73
- Q1
- 0.36
- Min
- 0.00
CTAS’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.52 is typical for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
CW
0.35
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 1.70
- Q3
- 1.04
- Median
- 0.68
- Q1
- 0.41
- Min
- 0.00
Falling into the lower quartile for the Aerospace & Defense industry, CW’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.35 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)
CTAS
24.70
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 24.70
- Q3
- 12.37
- Median
- 7.16
- Q1
- 2.69
- Min
- -10.97
CTAS’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 24.70 is in the upper quartile for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.
CW
12.64
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 36.57
- Q3
- 19.90
- Median
- 7.04
- Q1
- 2.40
- Min
- -7.63
CW’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 12.64 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Aerospace & Defense industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | CTAS | CW |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 2.09 | 1.95 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 1.71 | 1.35 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 0.52 | 0.35 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 24.70 | 12.64 |
Growth
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield (TTM)
CTAS
0.68%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 3.44%
- Q3
- 2.30%
- Median
- 1.37%
- Q1
- 0.63%
- Min
- 0.00%
CTAS’s Dividend Yield of 0.68% is consistent with its peers in the Commercial Services & Supplies industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
CW
0.17%
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 2.03%
- Q3
- 1.22%
- Median
- 0.43%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
CW’s Dividend Yield of 0.17% is consistent with its peers in the Aerospace & Defense industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
CTAS
33.75%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 137.88%
- Q3
- 72.93%
- Median
- 40.45%
- Q1
- 23.31%
- Min
- 0.00%
CTAS’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 33.75% is within the typical range for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
CW
9.64%
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 83.87%
- Q3
- 49.90%
- Median
- 16.48%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
CW’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 9.64% is within the typical range for the Aerospace & Defense industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | CTAS | CW |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.68% | 0.17% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 33.75% | 9.64% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
CTAS
49.83
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 57.20
- Q3
- 37.10
- Median
- 22.38
- Q1
- 16.35
- Min
- 0.00
A P/E Ratio of 49.83 places CTAS in the upper quartile for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry. This high valuation relative to peers suggests the market holds elevated expectations for the company’s future growth.
CW
40.76
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 65.97
- Q3
- 54.11
- Median
- 34.53
- Q1
- 23.66
- Min
- 0.00
CW’s P/E Ratio of 40.76 is within the middle range for the Aerospace & Defense industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)
CTAS
8.73
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 4.64
- Q3
- 2.28
- Median
- 0.97
- Q1
- 0.64
- Min
- 0.00
With a P/S Ratio of 8.73, CTAS trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Commercial Services & Supplies industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.
CW
5.57
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 8.07
- Q3
- 4.49
- Median
- 2.42
- Q1
- 1.39
- Min
- 0.00
CW’s P/S Ratio of 5.57 is in the upper echelon for the Aerospace & Defense industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)
CTAS
19.50
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 6.71
- Q3
- 4.38
- Median
- 2.39
- Q1
- 1.57
- Min
- 0.43
At 19.50, CTAS’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Commercial Services & Supplies industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.
CW
6.79
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 13.67
- Q3
- 7.92
- Median
- 4.65
- Q1
- 2.68
- Min
- 0.82
CW’s P/B Ratio of 6.79 is within the conventional range for the Aerospace & Defense industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | CTAS | CW |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 49.83 | 40.76 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 8.73 | 5.57 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 19.50 | 6.79 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 51.39 | 34.01 |