Which has the lower trailing P/E, CTAS or GD?

GD has the lower trailing P/E: CTAS trades at 38.07 and GD at 20.12. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, CTAS or GD?

Over the past five years, CTAS grew revenue faster — CTAS at a 9.73% CAGR versus GD at 7.32%.

Does CTAS or GD pay a bigger dividend?

CTAS yields 0.97% and GD yields 1.87% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is CTAS or GD more profitable?

CTAS runs the higher net margin — CTAS at 17.82% versus GD at 8.18%.

How have CTAS and GD total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, CTAS delivered 22.54% and GD delivered 10.19% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Cintas Corporation (CTAS) vs General Dynamics Corporation (GD)

A side-by-side comparison of Cintas Corporation and General Dynamics Corporation across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of October 4, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

CTAS

Cintas Corporation

$77.24B

$193.02IndustrialsDelayed quote: Oct 2, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

General Dynamics Corporation

$89.31B

$330.09IndustrialsDelayed quote: Oct 2, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

Total return — CTAS vs GD

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 10y

CTAS +672.7% (+22.7%/yr)GD +166.5% (+10.3%/yr)CTAS compounded faster over this window

CTAS GD

CTAS vs GD: by the numbers

•GD is the larger company ($89.31B vs $77.24B market cap).
•GD trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (20.12 vs 38.07 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•CTAS converts more revenue to profit (17.82% vs 8.18% net margin).
•CTAS grew revenue faster over the past five years (9.73% vs 7.32% CAGR).
•GD pays the higher dividend yield (1.87% vs 0.97%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	CTAS	GD
P/E ratio	38.07	20.12
Forward P/E	34.81	19.41
PEG ratio	2.74	2.85
P/S ratio	6.68	1.63
P/B ratio	14.84	3.33
EV / EBITDA	24.79	14.85
FCF yield	2.63%	7.22%

Profitability

Metric	CTAS	GD
Gross margin	50.99%	15.38%
Operating margin	23.36%	10.32%
Net margin	17.82%	8.18%
ROE	39.59%	16.73%
ROIC	23.93%	10.94%

Dividends

Metric	CTAS	GD
Dividend yield	0.97%	1.87%
Payout ratio	36.88%	37.66%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	CTAS	GD
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	9.73%	7.32%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	13.58%	7.22%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	12.09%	10.39%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	15.86%	13.07%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, CTAS or GD?: GD has the lower trailing P/E: CTAS trades at 38.07 and GD at 20.12. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, CTAS or GD?: Over the past five years, CTAS grew revenue faster — CTAS at a 9.73% CAGR versus GD at 7.32%.
Does CTAS or GD pay a bigger dividend?: CTAS yields 0.97% and GD yields 1.87% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is CTAS or GD more profitable?: CTAS runs the higher net margin — CTAS at 17.82% versus GD at 8.18%.
How have CTAS and GD total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, CTAS delivered 22.54% and GD delivered 10.19% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full CTAS analysis Full GD analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

Cintas P/E ratio General Dynamics P/E ratio Cintas dividend yield General Dynamics dividend yield Cintas ROE General Dynamics ROE Cintas operating margin General Dynamics operating margin Cintas revenue growth General Dynamics revenue growth Cintas free cash flow General Dynamics free cash flow

Cintas & General Dynamics appear in these rankings

25+ Year Dividend Growers Highest ROE Stocks Highest ROIC Stocks Highest FCF Yield Stocks

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified October 4, 2026.