Updating CINTAS CORP. and J.C. PENNEY CO., INC.

Article Excerpt

CINTAS CORP. $29 (www.cintas.com) earned $55.9 million in its fiscal 2011 second quarter, which ended November 30, 2010. That’s down 2.3% from $57.2 million a year earlier. However, earnings per share rose 2.7%, to $0.38 from $0.37, on fewer shares outstanding. If you exclude a legal settlement in the year-earlier quarter, earnings per share would have risen 8.6%. Revenue rose 5.9%, to $936.6 million from $884.5 million. Rising demand for services, such as document shredding and office cleaning, is offsetting slower growth at Cintas’ larger uniform-rental business. Hold. J.C. PENNEY CO., INC. $32 (www.jcpenney.com) is closing five of its 1,100 department stores as part of a restructuring plan. It will also close 19 outlet stores and its catalogue operations over the next two years. These closures will cost it $0.13 a share, but will lower its annual expenses by $0.07 a share starting in fiscal 2012 (fiscal years end January 31). To put these figures in context, Penney will probably earn…