Cintas Corporation (CTAS)
Cintas provides uniform rental, facility supplies, and safety products to businesses.
Industrials stock comparison
CTAS vs PAYX: which business are you actually underwriting?
Compare Cintas Corporation with Paychex, Inc. using their business models, SEC classifications, fiscal calendars, current primary filings, and the research questions that matter. This is a thesis framework—not a price target or automatic winner.
- Sector
- Industrials
- Industry
- Different SIC
- Shared themes
- 1
- Updated
- 2026-07-29
CTAS vs PAYX: quick comparison
| Company fact | CTAS | PAYX |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Cintas Corporation | Paychex, Inc. |
| Exchange | NASDAQ | NASDAQ |
| SEC industry | Men's & Boys' Furnishgs, Work Clothg, & Allied Garments | Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management |
| Fiscal year-end | May 31 | May 31 |
| Latest annual filing | 10-K · 2026-07-29 | 10-K · 2026-07-17 |
CTAS vs PAYX: audited financials
CTAS reported about 1.7× the revenue of PAYX in the latest audited fiscal year. On profitability, PAYX converted a larger share of revenue into net income (27.0% versus 17.8%). Scale and margin are starting facts for the thesis, not the verdict.
| Metric | CTAS | PAYX |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $11.3B | $6.5B |
| Net income | $2.0B | $1.8B |
| Operating cash flow | $2.3B | $2.6B |
| Diluted EPS | $4.91 | $4.89 |
| Net margin | 17.8% | 27.0% |
CTAS: FY ending 2026-05-31 · PAYX: FY ending 2026-05-31. Figures as tagged in each issuer's SEC XBRL filing; fiscal calendars may not align.
How the businesses differ
Why this pair belongs in the comparison set
CTAS and PAYX have different SEC industry classifications, but both map to the maintained Economic trends research theme inside the Industrials sector. A shared classification or theme makes the pair useful for a defined research question; it does not mean the companies have identical products, economics, or risks.
Paychex, Inc. (PAYX)
Paychex provides payroll, HR, and benefits-administration services to small and midsize businesses.
The useful starting point is not which ticker has performed better. It is whether the two companies convert the same economic forces into revenue and cash flow in the same way. CTAS is classified by the SEC as Men's & Boys' Furnishgs, Work Clothg, & Allied Garments, while PAYX is classified as Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management. The different industry codes are a warning against treating sector membership as proof of identical economics.
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The thesis, the numbers behind it, and what would break it. Full access is $15 a month.
Read the full researchWhich thesis does each company fit?
Use the distinction below to decide which filing deserves deeper work. It is a research routing rule, not a recommendation or prediction.
Study CTAS when…
- Capital-spending and manufacturing PMIs
- Reshoring and supply-chain reconfiguration
- Defense budgets and geopolitical conflict
- Freight rates and logistics demand
Study PAYX when…
- Capital-spending and manufacturing PMIs
- Reshoring and supply-chain reconfiguration
- Defense budgets and geopolitical conflict
- Freight rates and logistics demand
Shared research themes
Economic trends
SEC filing comparison and disclosure evidence
Start with primary filings because fiscal calendars and accounting presentation can make superficially similar quarters incomparable.CTAS's fiscal year ends May 31, while PAYX's ends May 31. Normalize the reporting periods before comparing growth, margins, capital intensity, or guidance.
The current verified House and Senate snapshot contains 9matched transaction rows for CTASand 31 for PAYX. These delayed, range-based disclosures can identify a filing to inspect; they do not establish motive, conviction, or a real-time trading signal.
CTAS primary filings
PAYX primary filings
What this comparison cannot tell you
This page does not contain licensed live prices, a valuation model, earnings estimates, portfolio constraints, or a forecast of future returns. SEC classifications can be broad, company descriptions can lag strategic change, and the latest annual filing may predate a material acquisition or divestiture. Read subsequent quarterly and current reports before making a decision.
A stronger business is not automatically the better stock. Starting valuation, expectations, capital structure, cyclicality, dilution, and the probability of each thesis determine the investment outcome. Use this comparison to frame the work, then verify the numbers in the linked filings and current company disclosures.
More comparisons involving CTAS or PAYX
CTAS vs PAYX FAQs
Are CTAS and PAYX direct competitors?
Cintas Corporation and Paychex, Inc. sit in the same Industrials sector but have different SEC industry classifications. The comparison is most useful for portfolio role and sector exposure, not as a claim that every product competes directly.
Which is better, CTAS or PAYX?
There is no context-free winner. Compare the operating exposures, filing evidence, valuation, balance sheet, and risks against the specific thesis you are testing. This page deliberately does not turn a static profile into a buy or sell recommendation.
Does this CTAS vs PAYX comparison include live prices?
No. Yield Theory does not republish unlicensed real-time market data. The financial figures on this page are the audited annual numbers Cintas Corporation and Paychex, Inc. tagged in their SEC XBRL filings. Use a regulated broker or licensed quote provider for current prices and valuation multiples.
Where does the company information come from?
Company classifications, fiscal year-ends, and filing links come from the SEC EDGAR submissions API snapshot refreshed 2026-09-25. Business summaries and research themes are maintained by Yield Theory.
Data snapshot: SEC EDGAR submissions API, refreshed 2026-09-25. Independent educational research; not investment advice.
A comparison is the setup. The thesis is the call.
CTAS vs PAYX shows how the businesses differ. Membership is the monthly sourced view of who could benefit, what could break, and what evidence matters next. $15/month or $150/year.
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