CTAS vs. GD: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at CTAS and GD, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Profile
| Symbol | CTAS | GD |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Cintas Corporation | General Dynamics Corporation |
| Country | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| GICS Industry | Commercial Services & Supplies | Aerospace & Defense |
| Market Capitalization | 74.87 billion USD | 91.93 billion USD |
| Exchange | NasdaqGS | NYSE |
| Listing Date | August 19, 1983 | January 2, 1962 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of CTAS and GD 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 | GD |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Day Price Return | -1.89% | -1.40% |
| 13-Week Price Return | -15.23% | 7.24% |
| 26-Week Price Return | -17.86% | 20.64% |
| 52-Week Price Return | -15.95% | 20.81% |
| Month-to-Date Return | -0.04% | -1.58% |
| Year-to-Date Return | 0.27% | 28.82% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 2.54M | 1.01M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 2.02M | 1.09M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 18.12% | 15.77% |
| Beta | 0.96 | 0.42 |
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.
GD
18.27%
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 43.89%
- Q3
- 23.64%
- Median
- 12.98%
- Q1
- 8.07%
- Min
- -2.55%
GD’s Return on Equity of 18.27% 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.
GD
8.13%
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 14.96%
- Q3
- 9.50%
- Median
- 6.59%
- Q1
- 4.45%
- Min
- 1.01%
GD’s Net Profit Margin of 8.13% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Aerospace & Defense industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
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.
GD
10.30%
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 17.97%
- Q3
- 12.09%
- Median
- 9.29%
- Q1
- 6.41%
- Min
- -1.59%
GD’s Operating Profit Margin of 10.30% is around the midpoint for the Aerospace & Defense industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | CTAS | GD |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 40.41% | 18.27% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 19.17% | 7.43% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 17.54% | 8.13% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 22.89% | 10.30% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 50.10% | 15.40% |
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.
GD
1.40
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 3.37
- Q3
- 2.01
- Median
- 1.22
- Q1
- 1.07
- Min
- 0.68
GD’s Current Ratio of 1.40 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.
GD
0.33
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, GD’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.33 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.
GD
15.01
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 29.86
- Q3
- 19.49
- Median
- 7.09
- Q1
- 2.62
- Min
- -7.63
GD’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 15.01 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 | GD |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 2.24 | 1.40 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 1.88 | 0.87 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 0.51 | 0.33 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 24.70 | 15.01 |
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.
GD
1.72%
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 2.87%
- Q3
- 1.46%
- Median
- 0.58%
- Q1
- 0.10%
- Min
- 0.00%
With a Dividend Yield of 1.72%, GD offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Aerospace & Defense industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.
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.
GD
37.41%
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 110.40%
- Q3
- 51.46%
- Median
- 20.20%
- Q1
- 4.21%
- Min
- 0.00%
GD’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 37.41% 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 | GD |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.85% | 1.72% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 34.09% | 37.41% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
CTAS
40.33
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 57.06
- Q3
- 35.30
- Median
- 21.86
- Q1
- 16.24
- Min
- 6.18
A P/E Ratio of 40.33 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.
GD
21.75
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 94.22
- Q3
- 53.31
- Median
- 32.27
- Q1
- 24.64
- Min
- 14.57
In the lower quartile for the Aerospace & Defense industry, GD’s P/E Ratio of 21.75 suggests the stock may be undervalued compared to its peers, potentially presenting an attractive entry point for investors.
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.
GD
1.82
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 7.20
- Q3
- 3.95
- Median
- 2.35
- Q1
- 1.71
- Min
- 0.32
GD’s P/S Ratio of 1.82 aligns with the market consensus for the Aerospace & Defense industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
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.
GD
3.66
Aerospace & Defense Industry
- Max
- 18.61
- Q3
- 9.58
- Median
- 5.45
- Q1
- 3.11
- Min
- 0.94
GD’s P/B Ratio of 3.66 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 | GD |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 40.33 | 21.75 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 7.07 | 1.82 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 17.80 | 3.66 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 44.04 | 18.00 |