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 | 74.69 billion USD | 20.95 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 | 0.79% | -6.26% |
| 13-Week Price Return | -13.78% | 13.17% |
| 26-Week Price Return | -13.29% | 39.58% |
| 52-Week Price Return | -16.50% | 43.11% |
| Month-to-Date Return | 1.88% | -7.41% |
| Year-to-Date Return | 2.20% | 55.43% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 2.38M | 0.30M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 1.95M | 0.28M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 18.57% | 29.47% |
| Beta | 0.97 | 0.96 |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
CTAS
40.41%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 31.86%
- Q3
- 17.95%
- Median
- 10.20%
- Q1
- 6.64%
- Min
- -9.69%
CTAS’s Return on Equity of 40.41% 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
18.15%
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 43.89%
- Q3
- 23.64%
- Median
- 12.98%
- Q1
- 8.07%
- Min
- -2.55%
CW’s Return on Equity of 18.15% 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
17.54%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 17.54%
- Q3
- 10.35%
- Median
- 5.85%
- Q1
- 3.23%
- Min
- -2.31%
A Net Profit Margin of 17.54% 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
13.78%
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 14.96%
- Q3
- 9.50%
- Median
- 6.59%
- Q1
- 4.45%
- Min
- 1.01%
A Net Profit Margin of 13.78% 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
22.89%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 25.57%
- Q3
- 15.63%
- Median
- 8.06%
- Q1
- 4.76%
- Min
- -7.48%
An Operating Profit Margin of 22.89% 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
17.97%
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 17.97%
- Q3
- 12.09%
- Median
- 9.29%
- Q1
- 6.41%
- Min
- -1.59%
An Operating Profit Margin of 17.97% places CW in the upper quartile for the Aerospace & Defense industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | CTAS | CW |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 40.41% | 18.15% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 19.17% | 9.19% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 17.54% | 13.78% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 22.89% | 17.97% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 50.10% | 37.43% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
CTAS
2.24
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 3.94
- Q3
- 2.24
- Median
- 1.28
- Q1
- 0.91
- Min
- 0.58
CTAS’s Current Ratio of 2.24 aligns with the median group of the Commercial Services & Supplies industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
CW
1.75
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 3.37
- Q3
- 2.01
- Median
- 1.22
- Q1
- 1.07
- Min
- 0.68
CW’s Current Ratio of 1.75 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
0.51
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 2.24
- Q3
- 1.11
- Median
- 0.73
- Q1
- 0.30
- Min
- 0.00
CTAS’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.51 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
0.38
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 1.89
- Q3
- 0.99
- Median
- 0.63
- Q1
- 0.39
- Min
- 0.03
Falling into the lower quartile for the Aerospace & Defense industry, CW’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.38 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
- 24.47
- Median
- 9.83
- Q1
- 3.74
- 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
- 29.86
- Q3
- 19.49
- Median
- 7.09
- Q1
- 2.62
- 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) | 2.24 | 1.75 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 1.88 | 1.17 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 0.51 | 0.38 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 24.70 | 12.64 |
Growth
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield (TTM)
CTAS
0.85%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 4.46%
- Q3
- 2.38%
- Median
- 1.70%
- Q1
- 0.89%
- Min
- 0.00%
CTAS’s Dividend Yield of 0.85% is in the lower quartile for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry. This suggests the company’s strategy likely favors retaining earnings for growth over providing a high dividend income.
CW
0.16%
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 2.87%
- Q3
- 1.46%
- Median
- 0.58%
- Q1
- 0.10%
- Min
- 0.00%
CW’s Dividend Yield of 0.16% 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
34.09%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 137.88%
- Q3
- 72.93%
- Median
- 50.54%
- Q1
- 29.39%
- Min
- 0.00%
CTAS’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 34.09% is within the typical range for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
CW
9.12%
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 110.40%
- Q3
- 51.46%
- Median
- 20.20%
- Q1
- 4.21%
- Min
- 0.00%
CW’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 9.12% 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) | 0.85% | 0.16% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 34.09% | 9.12% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
CTAS
40.29
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 57.06
- Q3
- 35.30
- Median
- 21.86
- Q1
- 16.24
- Min
- 6.18
A P/E Ratio of 40.29 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
44.11
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 94.22
- Q3
- 53.31
- Median
- 32.27
- Q1
- 24.64
- Min
- 14.57
CW’s P/E Ratio of 44.11 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
7.07
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 6.55
- Q3
- 3.15
- Median
- 1.07
- Q1
- 0.68
- Min
- 0.06
With a P/S Ratio of 7.07, 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
6.08
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 7.20
- Q3
- 3.95
- Median
- 2.35
- Q1
- 1.71
- Min
- 0.32
CW’s P/S Ratio of 6.08 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
17.80
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 6.18
- Q3
- 4.19
- Median
- 2.44
- Q1
- 1.61
- Min
- 0.40
At 17.80, 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
8.09
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 18.61
- Q3
- 9.58
- Median
- 5.45
- Q1
- 3.11
- Min
- 0.94
CW’s P/B Ratio of 8.09 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) | 40.29 | 44.11 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 7.07 | 6.08 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 17.80 | 8.09 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 43.98 | 36.77 |