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CTAS vs. WCN: Cintas vs. Waste Connections Stock Comparison

How do Cintas (CTAS) and Waste Connections (WCN) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

Cintas (CTAS) and Waste Connections (WCN) both belong to the Commercial Services & Supplies industry, though CTAS is classified under Diversified Support Services while WCN falls under Environmental & Facilities Services.

Company profile comparison for Cintas (CTAS) and Waste Connections (WCN)
Profile ItemCTASWCN
NameCintas CorporationWaste Connections Inc.
Country/RegionUnited StatesCanada
GICS SectorIndustrialsIndustrials
GICS Industry GroupCommercial & Professional ServicesCommercial & Professional Services
GICS IndustryCommercial Services & SuppliesCommercial Services & Supplies
GICS Sub-IndustryDiversified Support ServicesEnvironmental & Facilities Services
Market Capitalization68.06 billion USD42.35 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNasdaqNYSE
Listing DateAugust 19, 1983May 22, 1998
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

CTAS
WCN
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Cintas (CTAS) vs. Waste Connections (WCN): Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Cintas (CTAS) and Waste Connections (WCN). Returns over one year are annualized.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Cintas (CTAS) and Waste Connections (WCN)
MetricCTASWCN
Total Return (1Y)-22.96%-10.19%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

CTAS
WCN
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Cintas (CTAS) vs. Waste Connections (WCN): Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Cintas (CTAS) and Waste Connections (WCN)
MetricCTASWCN
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)20.89%22.51%
Beta (5Y)0.940.49
Avg. Volume (3M)2.16M1.73M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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CTAS and WCN are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Cintas (CTAS) at 41.30% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Waste Connections (WCN) at 13.12% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for CTAS.

CTAS

Commercial & Professional Services industry group

41.30%

Max
53.04%
CTAS
41.30%
Q3
25.86%
Median
14.00%
Q1
2.97%
Min
-28.46%

WCN

Commercial & Professional Services industry group

13.12%

Max
53.04%
Q3
25.86%
Median
14.00%
WCN
13.12%
Q1
2.97%
Min
-28.46%
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Cintas (CTAS) vs. Waste Connections (WCN): A comparison of their ROE against the Commercial & Professional Services industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Cintas (CTAS) at 17.57% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Waste Connections (WCN) at 10.97%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

CTAS

Commercial & Professional Services industry group

17.57%

Max
26.63%
CTAS
17.57%
Q3
11.66%
Median
6.30%
Q1
1.46%
Min
-13.34%

WCN

Commercial & Professional Services industry group

10.97%

Max
26.63%
Q3
11.66%
WCN
10.97%
Median
6.30%
Q1
1.46%
Min
-13.34%
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Cintas (CTAS) vs. Waste Connections (WCN): A comparison of their net margin against the Commercial & Professional Services industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Cintas (CTAS) at 23.22% and Waste Connections (WCN) at 18.75% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.

CTAS

Commercial & Professional Services industry group

23.22%

Max
38.33%
CTAS
23.22%
Q3
17.72%
Median
9.47%
Q1
3.22%
Min
-4.52%

WCN

Commercial & Professional Services industry group

18.75%

Max
38.33%
WCN
18.75%
Q3
17.72%
Median
9.47%
Q1
3.22%
Min
-4.52%
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Cintas (CTAS) vs. Waste Connections (WCN): A comparison of their operating margin against the Commercial & Professional Services industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Cintas (CTAS) and Waste Connections (WCN)
MetricCTASWCN
ROE (TTM)41.30%13.12%
ROA (TTM)15.94%5.47%
Net Margin (TTM)17.57%10.97%
Operating Margin (TTM)23.22%18.75%
Gross Margin (TTM)50.36%42.50%

Growth

Revenue Growth

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Cintas (CTAS) vs. Waste Connections (WCN): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

Revenue Growth Metrics

Revenue growth metrics for Cintas (CTAS) and Waste Connections (WCN)
MetricCTASWCN
Revenue Growth (YoY)7.75%6.14%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)9.60%9.49%

EPS Growth

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Cintas (CTAS) vs. Waste Connections (WCN): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth Metrics

EPS growth metrics for Cintas (CTAS) and Waste Connections (WCN)
MetricCTASWCN
EPS Growth (YoY)16.17%74.48%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)14.74%8.78%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Cintas (CTAS) at 1.98 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Waste Connections (WCN) at 0.69 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for WCN.

CTAS

Commercial & Professional Services industry group

1.98

Max
3.17
Q3
2.04
CTAS
1.98
Median
1.51
Q1
1.13
Min
0.45

WCN

Commercial & Professional Services industry group

0.69

Max
3.17
Q3
2.04
Median
1.51
Q1
1.13
WCN
0.69
Min
0.45
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Cintas (CTAS) vs. Waste Connections (WCN): A comparison of their current ratio against the Commercial & Professional Services industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both Cintas (CTAS) at 0.61 and Waste Connections (WCN) at 1.17 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.

CTAS

Commercial & Professional Services industry group

0.61

Max
2.61
Q3
1.38
Median
0.93
CTAS
0.61
Q1
0.40
Min
0.01

WCN

Commercial & Professional Services industry group

1.17

Max
2.61
Q3
1.38
WCN
1.17
Median
0.93
Q1
0.40
Min
0.01
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Cintas (CTAS) vs. Waste Connections (WCN): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Commercial & Professional Services industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Cintas (CTAS) and Waste Connections (WCN)
MetricCTASWCN
Current Ratio (MRQ)1.980.69
Debt / Equity (MRQ)0.611.17
Net Debt / EBITDA0.943.04

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Both Cintas (CTAS) at 1.03% and Waste Connections (WCN) at 0.80% pay solid, industry-typical yields, sitting squarely within their peers’ usual range.

CTAS

Commercial & Professional Services industry group

1.03%

Max
4.01%
Q3
1.68%
CTAS
1.03%
Median
0.48%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

WCN

Commercial & Professional Services industry group

0.80%

Max
4.01%
Q3
1.68%
WCN
0.80%
Median
0.48%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Cintas (CTAS) vs. Waste Connections (WCN): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Commercial & Professional Services industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both Cintas (CTAS) at 36.71% and Waste Connections (WCN) at 32.44% keep payout ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges — dividend policies that share earnings without consuming too much of them.

CTAS

Commercial & Professional Services industry group

36.71%

Max
90.59%
CTAS
36.71%
Q3
36.71%
Median
16.64%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

WCN

Commercial & Professional Services industry group

32.44%

Max
90.59%
Q3
36.71%
WCN
32.44%
Median
16.64%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Cintas (CTAS) vs. Waste Connections (WCN): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Commercial & Professional Services industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Cintas (CTAS) and Waste Connections (WCN)
MetricCTASWCN
Dividend Yield (TTM)1.03%0.80%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)36.71%32.44%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Cintas (CTAS) at 35.81 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Waste Connections (WCN) at 40.66 sits in the richer quartile — WCN needs stronger growth or earnings quality to justify the premium.

CTAS

Commercial & Professional Services industry group

35.81

Max
67.48
Q3
35.82
CTAS
35.81
Median
20.98
Q1
14.64
Min
4.14

WCN

Commercial & Professional Services industry group

40.66

Max
67.48
WCN
40.66
Q3
35.82
Median
20.98
Q1
14.64
Min
4.14
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Cintas (CTAS) vs. Waste Connections (WCN): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Commercial & Professional Services industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Both Cintas (CTAS) at 6.17 and Waste Connections (WCN) at 4.41 command a richer price per dollar of sales than most peers, sitting in the upper P/S ratio quartile of their industries.

CTAS

Commercial & Professional Services industry group

6.17

Max
6.61
CTAS
6.17
Q3
3.34
Median
1.33
Q1
0.66
Min
0.09

WCN

Commercial & Professional Services industry group

4.41

Max
6.61
WCN
4.41
Q3
3.34
Median
1.33
Q1
0.66
Min
0.09
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Cintas (CTAS) vs. Waste Connections (WCN): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Commercial & Professional Services industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Waste Connections (WCN) at 5.17 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while Cintas (CTAS) at 14.21 prices above its benchmark range — CTAS looks rich relative to book.

CTAS

Commercial & Professional Services industry group

14.21

CTAS
14.21
Max
12.70
Q3
6.61
Median
3.22
Q1
1.81
Min
-4.70

WCN

Commercial & Professional Services industry group

5.17

Max
12.70
Q3
6.61
WCN
5.17
Median
3.22
Q1
1.81
Min
-4.70
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Cintas (CTAS) vs. Waste Connections (WCN): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Commercial & Professional Services industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Cintas (CTAS) and Waste Connections (WCN)
MetricCTASWCN
P/E Ratio (TTM)35.8140.66
P/S Ratio (TTM)6.174.41
P/B Ratio (MRQ)14.215.17
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)2.22%2.50%