UNF vs. CTAS
UNF (UniFirst Corporation) and CTAS (Cintas Corporation) are both stocks. Both operate in the Specialty Business Services industry within the Industrials sector. Over the past 10 years, UNF returned 9.19%/yr vs 23.39%/yr for CTAS. At a 0.35 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.
Performance
UNF vs. CTAS - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, UNF achieves a 37.36% return, which is significantly higher than CTAS's -6.63% return. Over the past 10 years, UNF has underperformed CTAS with an annualized return of 9.19%, while CTAS has yielded a comparatively higher 23.39% annualized return.
UNF
- 1D
- 0.39%
- 1M
- 5.95%
- YTD
- 37.36%
- 6M
- 49.68%
- 1Y
- 42.22%
- 3Y*
- 15.31%
- 5Y*
- 4.29%
- 10Y*
- 9.19%
CTAS
- 1D
- 0.81%
- 1M
- 4.98%
- YTD
- -6.63%
- 6M
- -4.93%
- 1Y
- -22.50%
- 3Y*
- 14.22%
- 5Y*
- 15.76%
- 10Y*
- 23.39%
UNF vs. CTAS - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UNF UniFirst Corporation | 37.36% | 13.60% | -5.75% | -4.56% | -7.65% | -0.14% | 5.37% | 41.65% | -13.04% | 14.91% |
CTAS Cintas Corporation | -6.63% | 3.78% | 22.24% | 34.82% | 2.97% | 26.51% | 32.74% | 61.73% | 9.04% | 36.32% |
Correlation
The correlation between UNF and CTAS is 0.53, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.53 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.46 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.51 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.52 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Mar 27, 1990 | 0.35 |
The correlation between UNF and CTAS shifts across timeframes, from 0.35 (all time) to 0.53 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
Fundamentals
UNF:
$8.29
CTAS:
$4.75
UNF:
31.92
CTAS:
36.75
UNF:
9.86
CTAS:
2.58
UNF:
1.75
CTAS:
6.46
UNF:
$1.85B
CTAS:
$11.03B
UNF:
$458.02M
CTAS:
$1.33B
UNF:
$240.29M
CTAS:
$2.66B
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Return for Risk
UNF vs. CTAS — Risk / Return Rank
UNF
CTAS
UNF vs. CTAS - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for UniFirst Corporation (UNF) 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.
| UNF | CTAS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +2.33 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +3.77 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.29 | 0.82 | +0.47 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.01 | -0.82 | +2.83 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 4.94 | -1.43 | +6.37 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| UNF | CTAS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.16 | -1.17 | +2.33 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.14 | 0.71 | -0.57 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.30 | 0.88 | -0.58 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.35 | 0.52 | -0.17 |
Drawdowns
UNF vs. CTAS - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum UNF drawdown since its inception was -74.02%, which is greater than CTAS's maximum drawdown of -65.32%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for UNF and CTAS.
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Drawdown Indicators
| UNF | CTAS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -74.02% | -65.32% | -8.70% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -21.06% | -27.68% | +6.62% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -34.56% | -27.68% | -6.88% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -36.62% | -27.68% | -8.94% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -40.85% | -48.38% | +7.53% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -3.75% | -22.53% | +18.78% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -17.11% | -15.04% | -2.07% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 8.58% | 15.71% | -7.13% |
Volatility
UNF vs. CTAS - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for UniFirst Corporation (UNF) is 3.91%, while Cintas Corporation (CTAS) has a volatility of 6.16%. This indicates that UNF experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky 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
| UNF | CTAS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 3.91% | 6.16% | -2.25% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 28.77% | 14.56% | +14.21% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 36.47% | 19.36% | +17.11% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 31.08% | 22.43% | +8.65% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 30.24% | 26.63% | +3.61% |
Dividends
UNF vs. CTAS - Dividend Comparison
UNF's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.54%, less than CTAS's 1.03% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CTAS Cintas Corporation | 1.03% | 0.89% | 0.80% | 0.83% | 0.93% | 0.77% | 0.99% | 0.95% | 1.22% | 1.04% | 1.15% | 1.15% |
UNF UniFirst Corporation | 0.54% | 0.73% | 0.78% | 0.69% | 0.63% | 0.50% | 0.47% | 0.29% | 0.26% | 0.09% | 0.10% | 0.14% |
Financials
UNF vs. CTAS - Financials Comparison
This section allows you to compare key financial metrics between UniFirst Corporation 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
Frequently Asked Questions
UNF and CTAS have a correlation of 0.53, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
CTAS has higher volatility (6.16%) compared to UNF (3.91%). In terms of maximum drawdown, UNF dropped -74.02% vs CTAS's -65.32%.
UNF currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.16 vs -1.17), 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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