SAIA vs. CTAS
SAIA (Saia, Inc.) and CTAS (Cintas Corporation) are both stocks. Both are in the Industrials sector — SAIA in Trucking, CTAS in Specialty Business Services. Over the past 10 years, SAIA returned 28.28%/yr vs 23.95%/yr for CTAS. Their 0.39 correlation means their historical movements had little consistent relationship.
Performance
SAIA vs. CTAS - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, SAIA achieves a 6.47% return, which is significantly lower than CTAS's 9.35% return. Over the past 10 years, SAIA has outperformed CTAS with an annualized return of 28.28%, while CTAS has yielded a comparatively lower 23.95% annualized return.
SAIA
- 1D
- -0.86%
- 1M
- -16.57%
- 6M
- 3.81%
- YTD
- 6.47%
- 1Y
- 18.61%
- 3Y*
- -6.52%
- 5Y*
- 8.99%
- 10Y*
- 28.28%
- ALL TIME*
- 16.18%
CTAS
- 1D
- -1.04%
- 1M
- 12.82%
- 6M
- 7.46%
- YTD
- 9.35%
- 1Y
- -6.74%
- 3Y*
- 18.61%
- 5Y*
- 16.82%
- 10Y*
- 23.95%
- ALL TIME*
- 16.34%
Liquidity Comparison
| Position | Avg. Volume Value (2W) | Avg. Volume Value (1M) | Avg. Volume Value (3M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $538.80M | $519.54M | $423.07M | |
SAIA Saia, Inc. | $206.79M | $192.75M | $185.37M |
SAIA vs. CTAS - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SAIA Saia, Inc. | 6.47% | -28.35% | 4.00% | 108.99% | -37.79% | 86.41% | 94.16% | 66.82% | -21.10% | 60.25% |
CTAS Cintas Corporation | 9.35% | 3.78% | 22.24% | 34.82% | 2.97% | 26.51% | 32.74% | 61.73% | 9.04% | 36.32% |
Correlation
The correlation between SAIA and CTAS is 0.24, which is low. Their historical price movements had little consistent relationship.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most. | 0.24 |
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history. | 0.29 |
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period. | 0.38 |
Correlation (10Y) Provides a long-term view across more market conditions. | 0.41 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 12, 2002 | 0.39 |
The correlation between SAIA and CTAS shifts across timeframes, from 0.24 (1 year) to 0.41 (10 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
Fundamentals
SAIA:
$9.27B
CTAS:
$81.89B
SAIA:
$10.37
CTAS:
$4.92
SAIA:
33.52
CTAS:
41.61
SAIA:
12.09
CTAS:
3.04
SAIA:
2.75
CTAS:
7.39
SAIA:
3.42
CTAS:
16.10
SAIA:
$3.39B
CTAS:
$11.26B
SAIA:
$1.37B
CTAS:
$5.71B
SAIA:
$632.34M
CTAS:
$2.99B
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Return for Risk
SAIA vs. CTAS — Risk / Return Rank
SAIA
CTAS
SAIA vs. CTAS - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Saia, Inc. (SAIA) and Cintas Corporation (CTAS). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| SAIA | CTAS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.62 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +1.09 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.10 | 0.97 | +0.13 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.53 | -0.26 | +0.79 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 1.53 | -0.43 | +1.95 |
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Drawdowns
SAIA vs. CTAS - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum SAIA drawdown since its inception was -80.35%, which is greater than CTAS's maximum drawdown of -65.32%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SAIA and CTAS.
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Drawdown Indicators
| SAIA | CTAS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -80.35% | -65.32% | -15.03% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -28.64% | -27.23% | -1.41% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -60.94% | -27.68% | -33.26% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -60.94% | -27.68% | -33.26% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -60.94% | -48.38% | -12.56% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -42.63% | -9.26% | -33.37% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -28.96% | -15.05% | -13.91% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 9.87% | 16.90% | -7.03% |
Volatility
SAIA vs. CTAS - Volatility Comparison
Saia, Inc. (SAIA) has a higher volatility of 14.55% compared to Cintas Corporation (CTAS) at 11.44%. This indicates that SAIA's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than CTAS based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| SAIA | CTAS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 14.55% | 11.44% | +3.11% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 37.05% | 19.68% | +17.37% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 48.48% | 23.28% | +25.20% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 51.63% | 23.01% | +28.62% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 45.73% | 26.79% | +18.94% |
Dividends
SAIA vs. CTAS - Dividend Comparison
SAIA has not paid dividends to shareholders, while CTAS's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.88%.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CTAS Cintas Corporation | 0.88% | 0.89% | 0.80% | 0.83% | 0.93% | 0.77% | 0.99% | 0.95% | 1.22% | 1.04% | 1.15% | 1.15% |
SAIA Saia, Inc. | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Financials
SAIA vs. CTAS - Financials Comparison
This section allows you to compare key financial metrics between Saia, Inc. and Cintas Corporation. You can select fields from income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements to easily visualize and compare the financial health of both companies.
Total Revenue: Total amount of money received from sales and other business activities
SAIA vs. CTAS - Profitability Comparison
SAIA - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, Saia, Inc. reported a gross profit of 871.51M and revenue of 956.49M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 91.1%.
CTAS - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, Cintas Corporation reported a gross profit of 1.48B and revenue of 2.91B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 51.0%.
SAIA - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, Saia, Inc. reported an operating income of 125.21M and revenue of 956.49M, resulting in an operating margin of 13.1%.
CTAS - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, Cintas Corporation reported an operating income of 673.04M and revenue of 2.91B, resulting in an operating margin of 23.2%.
SAIA - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, Saia, Inc. reported a net income of 94.26M and revenue of 956.49M, resulting in a net margin of 9.9%.
CTAS - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, Cintas Corporation reported a net income of 510.99M and revenue of 2.91B, resulting in a net margin of 17.6%.
Frequently Asked Questions
SAIA and CTAS have a correlation of 0.24, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
SAIA has higher volatility (14.55%) compared to CTAS (11.44%). In terms of maximum drawdown, SAIA dropped -80.35% vs CTAS's -65.32%.
SAIA currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.31 vs -0.31), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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