Cintas Corporation is the leading provider of corporate identity uniforms and related business services, and the question for the next twelve months is whether the company can convert the $2.91 billion Q4 FY2026 revenue up 8.9% year over year, the 8.4% Q4 FY2026 organic revenue growth, the $1.48 billion Q4 FY2026 gross margin up 11.6% year over year, the 51.0% Q4 FY2026 gross margin as a percent of revenue equal to the all-time high and 130 basis points year over year expansion, the $673.0 million Q4 FY2026 operating income up 12.7% year over year, the 23.2% Q4 FY2026 operating margin, the $511.0 million Q4 FY2026 net income up 14.0% year over year, the 21.2% Q4 FY2026 effective tax rate, the $1.26 Q4 FY2026 diluted EPS up 15.6% year over year, the $1.29 Q4 FY2026 adjusted diluted EPS excluding UniFirst transaction expenses up 18.3% year over year, the $11.26 billion FY2026 revenue up 8.9% year over year, the 8.3% FY2026 organic revenue growth, the 50.7% FY2026 gross margin as a percent of revenue all-time high, the $2.61 billion FY2026 operating income up 10.5% year over year, the 23.1% FY2026 operating margin, the $4.91 FY2026 diluted EPS up 11.6% year over year, the $4.94 FY2026 adjusted diluted EPS excluding UniFirst transaction expenses up 12.3% year over year, the $2.28 billion FY2026 cash flow from operating activities up 5.1% year over year, the $395.1 million FY2026 capital expenditures 3.5% of revenue, the $164.5 million FY2026 acquisitions, the $180.7 million Q4 FY2026 dividend payment, the $1.65 billion FY2026 returned to shareholders through share buybacks and dividends, the June 11, 2026 UniFirst shareholder vote to approve the acquisition, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission second request, the expected close in the second half of calendar 2026, the FY2027 revenue guidance of $12.10 billion to $12.25 billion, the FY2027 adjusted diluted EPS guidance of $5.36 to $5.50, the $14.0 million Q4 FY2026 UniFirst transaction expenses, the $15.1 million FY2026 UniFirst transaction expenses, the 8.4% Q4 FY2026 organic revenue growth, the 8.3% FY2026 organic revenue growth, the all-time high gross margin, the dynamic macro environment, the outstanding performance of employee-partners, the investments in technology capacity and talent, the strength and resilience of Cintas' value proposition, the substantial value expected to be created for shareholders and customers through the UniFirst transaction, and the welcoming UniFirst Team Partners to Cintas once the transaction is complete into the kind of UniFirst-Acquisition and Organic-Growth operating leverage the company has been telegraphing. The Q4 FY2026 print was the cleanest test of that thesis, and the cleanest signal is that President and CEO Todd M. Schneider said "these results conclude an outstanding year for Cintas. We delivered record revenues and operating margins. Our 8.3% organic revenue growth demonstrates our ability to deliver strong results in a dynamic macro environment. Our all-time high gross margin reflects the outstanding performance of our employee-partners and the clear impact of our investments in technology, capacity and talent. These results continue to showcase the strength and resilience of Cintas' value proposition." The strategic tension is the UniFirst acquisition second request and the expected close in the second half of calendar 2026, and the forward question is whether the UniFirst transaction completion can compound the organic growth into the FY2027 guidance the company has been telegraphing.
The $2.91 billion Q4 FY2026 revenue and the 8.9% year-over-year growth are the cleanest read on the operating momentum, and the 51.0% all-time high gross margin is the proof. The Q4 FY2026 total revenue of $2.91 billion grew 8.9% above the prior-year quarter's $2.67 billion. The Q4 FY2026 organic revenue growth rate of 8.4% was the cleanest single read on the underlying momentum. The Q4 FY2026 gross margin of 51.0% was equal to the all-time high and 130 basis points above the prior-year quarter's 49.7%.
The Q4 FY2026 operating income of $673.0 million grew 12.7% above the prior-year quarter's $597.5 million, the Q4 FY2026 operating margin of 23.2% was above the prior-year quarter's 22.4%, the Q4 FY2026 net income of $511.0 million grew 14.0% above the prior-year quarter's $448.3 million, the Q4 FY2026 effective tax rate of 21.2% was below the prior-year quarter's 22.1%, the Q4 FY2026 diluted EPS of $1.26 grew 15.6% above the prior-year quarter's $1.09, the Q4 FY2026 adjusted diluted EPS excluding UniFirst transaction expenses of $1.29 grew 18.3% year over year, the FY2026 revenue of $11.26 billion grew 8.9% above the prior-year period's $10.34 billion, the FY2026 organic revenue growth of 8.3%, the FY2026 gross margin of 50.7% all-time high, the FY2026 operating income of $2.61 billion grew 10.5% above the prior-year period's $2.36 billion, the FY2026 operating margin of 23.1% was above the prior-year period's 22.8%, the FY2026 diluted EPS of $4.91 grew 11.6% above the prior-year period's $4.40, the FY2026 adjusted diluted EPS excluding UniFirst transaction expenses of $4.94 grew 12.3% year over year, the FY2026 cash flow from operating activities of $2.28 billion grew 5.1% above the prior-year period's $2.17 billion, the FY2026 capital expenditures of $395.1 million 3.5% of revenue, the FY2026 acquisitions of $164.5 million, the Q4 FY2026 dividend payment of $180.7 million, the FY2026 returned to shareholders of $1.65 billion through share buybacks and dividends, the June 11, 2026 UniFirst shareholder vote to approve the acquisition, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission second request, the expected close in the second half of calendar 2026, the FY2027 revenue guidance of $12.10 billion to $12.25 billion, the FY2027 adjusted diluted EPS guidance of $5.36 to $5.50, the $14.0 million Q4 FY2026 UniFirst transaction expenses, the $15.1 million FY2026 UniFirst transaction expenses, the all-time high gross margin, the dynamic macro environment, the outstanding performance of employee-partners, the investments in technology capacity and talent, the strength and resilience of Cintas' value proposition, the substantial value expected to be created for shareholders and customers through the UniFirst transaction, and the welcoming UniFirst Team Partners to Cintas once the transaction is complete anchor the print. The forward question is whether the UniFirst transaction completion can compound the organic growth into the FY2027 guidance.