Operating Expenses
Stock-based compensation expense
Cintas Stock-based compensation expense increased by 5.9% to $34.25M in Q4 2025 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric grew by 7.7%, from $31.80M to $34.25M. Over 4 years (FY 2021 to FY 2025), Stock-based compensation expense shows an upward trend with a 3.5% CAGR. This is a positive signal — lower values indicate better performance for this metric.
Analysis
StatementIncome Statement
SectionOperating Expenses
CategoryEfficiency
SignalLower is better
VolatilityStable
First reportedQ1 2014
Last reportedQ3 2026Apr 7, 2026
How to read this metric
Higher levels indicate significant use of equity for compensation, which can lead to shareholder dilution over time.
Detailed definition
This represents the expense recognized for equity-based awards granted to employees, such as stock options or restricted...
Peer comparison
Standard operating expense for most public companies, particularly in competitive talent markets.
Metric ID:
ms_stock_based_compensationHistorical Data
20 periods
| Q4 '21 | Q1 '22 | Q2 '22 | Q3 '22 | Q4 '22 | Q1 '23 | Q2 '23 | Q3 '23 | Q4 '23 | Q1 '24 | Q2 '24 | Q3 '24 | Q4 '24 | Q1 '25 | Q2 '25 | Q3 '25 | Q4 '25 | Q1 '26 | Q2 '26 | Q3 '26 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $28.61M | $36.50M | $24.40M | $22.79M | $25.62M | $26.28M | $25.26M | $23.80M | $28.29M | $30.24M | $22.94M | $31.31M | $32.50M | $33.37M | $32.42M | $31.80M | $30.74M | $30.35M | $32.35M | $34.25M |
| QoQ Change | — | +27.5% | -33.2% | -6.6% | +12.4% | +2.6% | -3.9% | -5.8% | +18.9% | +6.9% | -24.1% | +36.5% | +3.8% | +2.7% | -2.8% | -1.9% | -3.3% | -1.3% | +6.6% | +5.9% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | -10.5% | -28.0% | +3.5% | +4.4% | +10.4% | +15.1% | -9.2% | +31.6% | +14.9% | +10.3% | +41.3% | +1.6% | -5.4% | -9.0% | -0.2% | +7.7% |
Range$22.79M – $36.50M
CAGR+3.9%
Avg YoY Growth+4.9%
Median YoY Growth+4.0%
Current Streak2 quarters growth
Stock-based compensation expense at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Cintas's stock-based compensation expense?
- Cintas (CTAS) reported stock-based compensation expense of $34.25M in Q4 2025.
- How has Cintas's stock-based compensation expense changed year-over-year?
- Cintas's stock-based compensation expense increased by 7.7% year-over-year, from $31.80M to $34.25M.
- What is the long-term trend for Cintas's stock-based compensation expense?
- Over 4 years (2021 to 2025), Cintas's stock-based compensation expense has grown at a 3.5% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $112.04M to $128.33M.
- What does stock-based compensation expense mean?
- The cost of paying employees with company stock instead of cash.