Cintas posted a higher quarterly profit, helped by increased revenue, but both numbers were below analysts' expectations.
Earnings for Cintas, a provider of workplace uniforms, rose to $82.5 million, or 51 cents a share, in the company's fiscal second quarter, from $76.8 million, or 46 cents a share, a year earlier.
Analysts polled by Thomson Financial expected Cincinnati, Ohio-based Cintas to earn 52 cents a share.
Quarterly revenue rose to $923.3 million from $835.8 million. Analysts had predicted sales of $933 million.
Cintas also confirmed its previous guidance for fiscal 2007 of $2.10 to $2.20 a share of earnings and revenues between $3.77 billion and $3.85 billion. Ahead of the report, analyst consensus was earnings of $2.19 a share and revenues of $3.78 billion.
