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 | 81.64 billion USD | 20.27 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 | -0.64% | 1.38% |
| 13-Week Price Return | -7.64% | 10.25% |
| 26-Week Price Return | -1.42% | 69.57% |
| 52-Week Price Return | -1.31% | 58.93% |
| Month-to-Date Return | -1.29% | -0.91% |
| Year-to-Date Return | 10.90% | 51.61% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 2.12M | 0.23M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 1.68M | 0.31M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 16.88% | 27.44% |
| Beta | 0.99 | 0.93 |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
CTAS
41.21%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 31.93%
- Q3
- 16.86%
- Median
- 10.28%
- Q1
- 6.63%
- Min
- 0.71%
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
- 37.11%
- Q3
- 20.14%
- Median
- 11.72%
- Q1
- 6.30%
- 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
- 16.98%
- Q3
- 9.05%
- Median
- 5.35%
- Q1
- 3.42%
- Min
- -2.31%
CTAS’s Net Profit Margin of 17.53% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry. This demonstrates outstanding operational efficiency and a strong competitive advantage in converting revenue into profit.
CW
13.66%
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 13.66%
- Q3
- 8.61%
- Median
- 6.59%
- Q1
- 4.92%
- Min
- 1.01%
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
- 23.33%
- Q3
- 12.51%
- Median
- 8.33%
- Q1
- 4.45%
- Min
- -2.90%
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
- 22.35%
- Q3
- 12.83%
- Median
- 9.29%
- Q1
- 6.38%
- Min
- -2.15%
An Operating Profit Margin of 17.71% 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) | 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
- 3.73
- Q3
- 2.13
- Median
- 1.31
- Q1
- 0.91
- Min
- 0.59
CTAS’s Current Ratio of 2.09 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
1.95
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 3.35
- Q3
- 2.03
- Median
- 1.24
- Q1
- 1.04
- Min
- 0.77
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
- 2.24
- Q3
- 1.14
- Median
- 0.76
- 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
- 1.72
- Q3
- 0.96
- Median
- 0.63
- Q1
- 0.37
- Min
- 0.03
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
- 13.44
- Median
- 9.06
- Q1
- 3.42
- 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
- 19.08
- Median
- 7.25
- Q1
- 2.65
- 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
0.75%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 3.65%
- Q3
- 2.43%
- Median
- 1.58%
- Q1
- 0.74%
- Min
- 0.00%
CTAS’s Dividend Yield of 0.75% is consistent with its peers in the Commercial Services & Supplies industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
CW
0.16%
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 2.72%
- Q3
- 1.45%
- Median
- 0.48%
- Q1
- 0.08%
- 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
33.75%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 137.88%
- Q3
- 73.07%
- Median
- 44.79%
- Q1
- 27.66%
- 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
9.12%
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 110.40%
- Q3
- 50.43%
- Median
- 17.11%
- Q1
- 0.46%
- 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) | 0.75% | 0.16% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 33.75% | 9.12% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
CTAS
44.91
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 57.87
- Q3
- 33.40
- Median
- 23.56
- Q1
- 15.28
- Min
- 6.56
A P/E Ratio of 44.91 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
45.24
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 67.20
- Q3
- 55.74
- Median
- 33.28
- Q1
- 27.49
- Min
- 15.02
CW’s P/E Ratio of 45.24 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
7.87
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 4.84
- Q3
- 2.58
- Median
- 1.09
- Q1
- 0.62
- Min
- 0.06
With a P/S Ratio of 7.87, 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
6.18
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 9.06
- Q3
- 4.87
- Median
- 2.47
- Q1
- 1.61
- Min
- 0.33
CW’s P/S Ratio of 6.18 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
- 6.40
- Q3
- 3.97
- Median
- 2.44
- Q1
- 1.60
- Min
- 0.40
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
- 14.90
- Q3
- 8.93
- Median
- 4.70
- Q1
- 3.03
- Min
- 0.83
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) | 44.91 | 45.24 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 7.87 | 6.18 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 19.50 | 6.79 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 46.32 | 36.60 |