VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Stock Comparison

Cintas Corporation vs Fastenal Company

Compare moat strength, market structure, and segment coverage to understand how each company defends its edge.

Cintas Corporation

CTAS · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$80.4B
Gross margin (TTM)50.3%
Operating margin (TTM)23%
Net margin (TTM)17.6%
SectorIndustrials
IndustrySpecialty Business Services
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-01
Moat score
63/ 100

Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.

Full stock profile

Dive deeper into Cintas Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View CTAS analysis

Fastenal Company

FAST · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$53.1B
Gross margin (TTM)45%
Operating margin (TTM)20.2%
Net margin (TTM)15.4%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryIndustrial - Distribution
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-06
Moat score
57/ 100

Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.

Full stock profile

Dive deeper into Fastenal Company's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View FAST analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Cintas Corporation leads (63 / 100 vs 57 / 100 for Fastenal Company).
  • Segment focus: Cintas Corporation has 3 segments (77.1% in Uniform Rental and Facility Services); Fastenal Company has 2 segments (55.7% in Core industrial & construction supplies distribution (branches, Onsite, eBusiness excl. FMI)).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Weak.
  • Moat breadth: Cintas Corporation has 5 moat types across 2 domains; Fastenal Company has 4 across 2.

Primary market context

Cintas Corporation

Uniform Rental and Facility Services

Market

B2B uniform rental and route-based facility services (entrance mats, restroom supplies, towels/mops, etc.)

Geography

North America (primarily United States; also Canada and Latin America)

Customer

Businesses (SMB to large enterprise) via local delivery routes and branches

Role

Service operator / rental provider (route-based distribution and processing network)

Revenue share

77.1%

Fastenal Company

Core industrial & construction supplies distribution (branches, Onsite, eBusiness excl. FMI)

Market

Wholesale distribution of industrial and construction supplies (fasteners, safety, tools, and other MRO/OEM consumables)

Geography

Primarily North America (with growing international presence)

Customer

Manufacturing (OEM and MRO), non-residential construction, and other commercial customers

Role

Distributor

Revenue share

55.7%

Side-by-side metrics

Cintas Corporation
Fastenal Company
Ticker / Exchange
CTAS - NASDAQ
FAST - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$80.4B
$53.1B
Gross margin (TTM)
50.3%
45%
Operating margin (TTM)
23%
20.2%
Net margin (TTM)
17.6%
15.4%
Sector
Industrials
Industrials
Industry
Specialty Business Services
Industrial - Distribution
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Uniform Rental and Facility Services
Core industrial & construction supplies distribution (branches, Onsite, eBusiness excl. FMI)
Market structure
Competitive
Competitive
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Weak
Moat score
63 / 100
57 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand
Supply, Demand
Last update
2026-01-01
2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Service Field NetworkProcurement InertiaOperational Excellence

Cintas Corporation strengths

Suite BundlingSwitching Costs General

Fastenal Company strengths

Data Workflow Lockin

Segment mix

Cintas Corporation segments

Full profile >

Uniform Rental and Facility Services

Competitive

77.1%

First Aid and Safety Services

Competitive

11.8%

All Other (Fire Protection Services and Uniform Direct Sale)

Competitive

11.1%

Fastenal Company segments

Full profile >

Fastenal Managed Inventory (FMI)

Competitive

44.3%

Core industrial & construction supplies distribution (branches, Onsite, eBusiness excl. FMI)

Competitive

55.7%

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Curation & Accuracy

This directory blends AI‑assisted discovery with human curation. Entries are reviewed, edited, and organized with the goal of expanding coverage and sharpening quality over time. Your feedback helps steer improvements (because no single human can capture everything all at once).

Details change. Pricing, features, and availability may be incomplete or out of date. Treat listings as a starting point and verify on the provider’s site before making decisions. If you spot an error or a gap, send a quick note and I’ll adjust.