Cintas Corporation (CTAS)
Cintas provides uniform rental, facility supplies, and safety products to businesses.
Industrials stock comparison
CTAS vs WAB: how the two businesses compare
- Similar size: CTAS and WAB each brought in about $11.3B of yearly revenue.
- More profitable: CTAS keeps 18 cents of each sales dollar as profit, against 10 cents at WAB.
- More cash from each sale: CTAS turns 20 cents of each sales dollar into operating cash flow, against 16 cents at WAB.
From each company's latest annual SEC filing. Fiscal years can end on different dates.
Cintas (CTAS) and Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies (WAB) reported similar revenue: $11.3B (fiscal year ended May 2026) versus $11.2B (fiscal year ended Dec 2025). CTAS's net margin was 17.8% and WAB's 10.5%. The SEC classifies them differently (Men's & Boys' Furnishgs, Work Clothg, & Allied Garments; Railroad Equipment); what connects them is shared exposure to the Economic trends research theme, not a common industry.
Figures come from each company's own SEC filings. This page compares the businesses; it is not a price target or a verdict.
- Sector
- Industrials
- SEC industry
- Different
- Separate classifications
- Fiscal year ends
- Different
- CTAS May 31 · WAB December 31
- Reviewed
- Jul 29, 2026
CTAS vs WAB: quick comparison
| Company fact | CTAS | WAB |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Cintas Corporation | Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation |
| Exchange | NASDAQ | NYSE |
| SEC industry | Men's & Boys' Furnishgs, Work Clothg, & Allied Garments | Railroad Equipment |
| Fiscal year-end | May 31 | December 31 |
| Latest annual filing | 10-K · 2026-07-29 | 10-K · 2026-02-13 |
CTAS vs WAB: audited financials
- Scale: revenue is roughly in line ($11.3B for CTAS versus $11.2B for WAB).
- Net margin: CTAS kept 17.8% of revenue as net income versus 10.5% at WAB.
- Cash conversion: operating cash flow equalled CTAS 20.2% of revenue, or 1.14× net income; WAB 15.8% of revenue, or 1.50× net income. A ratio well above 1× usually reflects non-cash charges or working-capital release; well below 1× can reflect working-capital build or non-cash gains.
- Periods: the fiscal years end about 5 months apart (2026-05-31 for CTAS, 2025-12-31 for WAB), so each figure reflects somewhat different demand and cost conditions.
| Metric | CTAS | WAB |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $11.3B2025-06-01 to 2026-05-31 · SEC filing | $11.2B2025-01-01 to 2025-12-31 · SEC filing |
| Net income | $2.0B2025-06-01 to 2026-05-31 · SEC filing | $1.2B2025-01-01 to 2025-12-31 · SEC filing |
| Operating cash flow | $2.3B2025-06-01 to 2026-05-31 · SEC filing | $1.8B2025-01-01 to 2025-12-31 · SEC filing |
| Diluted EPS | $4.912025-06-01 to 2026-05-31 · SEC filing | $6.832025-01-01 to 2025-12-31 · SEC filing |
| Net margin | 17.8%2025-06-01 to 2026-05-31 · SEC filing | 10.5%2025-01-01 to 2025-12-31 · SEC filing |
CTAS: FY ending 2026-05-31 · WAB: FY ending 2025-12-31. Figures as tagged in each issuer's SEC XBRL filing; fiscal calendars may not align.
Where CTAS and WAB overlap, and where they don't
Overlap
- Shared research theme: Economic trends.
Differences
- Different SEC industries: CTAS files as Men's & Boys' Furnishgs, Work Clothg, & Allied Garments; WAB as Railroad Equipment.
- Offset fiscal calendars: CTAS's year ends May 31 and WAB's December 31, about 5 months apart.
- Profitability: net margin of 17.8% for CTAS versus 10.5% for WAB.
Overlap is drawn from SEC classifications and Yield Theory research themes. It is not evidence that the companies sell to the same customers or compete product for product.
Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation (WAB)
Wabtec makes locomotives, braking systems, and rail equipment for freight and transit operators.
What moves each company
Company-specific drivers maintained by Yield Theory. Use them to decide which filing deserves deeper work; they are not predictions.
What moves CTAS
We have not yet published a company-specific driver list for CTAS. The primary source is Item 1 (Business) and Item 1A (Risk Factors) of its 10-K filed 2026-07-29.
What moves WAB
We have not yet published a company-specific driver list for WAB. The primary source is Item 1 (Business) and Item 1A (Risk Factors) of its 10-K filed 2026-02-13.
The investment question
You now know how CTAS and WAB are classified, when their fiscal years end, and where their exposures overlap. Those are the facts. The investment question is what each share price already assumes about their exposure to economic trends, and which evidence in the next filings would prove that assumption wrong.
Members-only research
What members are reading this month
Sep 22, 2026
Meta jumped 11%. What must happen next to justify the price?A member research report on Meta’s AI rally: Muse, subscription economics, the cash-flow burden, legal costs and the earnings assumptions behind the new price.
Sep 9, 2026
Seagate: More Terabytes, Better EconomicsA retrospective case study of Seagate’s capacity-density thesis as of January 28, 2026, separating known qualifications and financials from an uncertain next phase.
The thesis, the numbers behind it, and what would break it. Full access is $39 a month.
Read the full researchSEC 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 WAB's ends December 31. Normalize the reporting periods before comparing growth, margins, capital intensity, or guidance.
The current verified House and Senate snapshot contains 9 matched transaction rows for CTAS and 21 matched transaction rows for WAB. 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
WAB 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 WAB
CTAS vs WAB FAQs
Are CTAS and WAB direct competitors?
Not necessarily. Cintas files as Men's & Boys' Furnishgs, Work Clothg, & Allied Garments and Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies as Railroad Equipment. The pair is compared because both map to the Economic trends research theme, not because the filings show head-to-head competition.
Is CTAS or WAB the bigger company by revenue?
Cintas (CTAS) and Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies (WAB) reported similar revenue: $11.3B (fiscal year ended May 2026) versus $11.2B (fiscal year ended Dec 2025). CTAS's net margin was 17.8% and WAB's 10.5%. The SEC classifies them differently (Men's & Boys' Furnishgs, Work Clothg, & Allied Garments; Railroad Equipment); what connects them is shared exposure to the Economic trends research theme, not a common industry. Each figure is the annual amount tagged in the company's own SEC XBRL filing; market value depends on live prices, which this page does not publish.
Which is better, CTAS or WAB?
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 WAB 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 Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation 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 2026-10-03. Business summaries and research themes are maintained by Yield Theory.
Data snapshot: SEC EDGAR submissions API, refreshed 2026-10-03. Independent educational research; not investment advice.
Which business differences matter to the investment thesis?
CTAS vs WAB compares reported results. The reports below show how we connect operating evidence to an investment thesis, its assumptions, catalysts, and risks. $39/month or $249/year.
Members-only research
$39/mo or $249/yr · cancel future renewals anytime · sources included