14 Best Dividend Growth Stocks to Buy and Hold in 2026

4. Cintas Corporation (NASDAQ:CTAS)

5-Year Average Dividend Growth Rate: 13.87%

Dividend Yield as of January 4: 0.97%

Cintas Corporation (NASDAQ:CTAS) is among the best dividend aristocrat stocks to invest in.

On December 22, Citi raised its price target on Cintas Corporation (NASDAQ:CTAS) to $181 from $176 and kept a Sell rating on the shares.

That same day, the Wall Street Journal reported that Cintas Corporation (NASDAQ:CTAS) had submitted a renewed takeover bid for UniFirst Corp., valuing the deal at roughly $3.96 billion in equity. The move marks another attempt by Cintas to acquire its rival in the uniform rental space.

The $275-a-share cash offer comes about nine months after Cintas said it was unable to engage UniFirst in what it described as “substantive” discussions following an earlier bid at the same price in January. Cintas said the latest proposal implies a total value of about $5.2 billion. That figure represents a 62% premium to UniFirst’s last closing price after the stock dropped when the prior offer was rejected in March.

This is not the first time Cintas Corporation (NASDAQ:CTAS) has tried. The new bid follows two earlier failed approaches, including one earlier this year that UniFirst rejected before Cintas withdrew it, as well as an initial offer made in 2022. While the headline price has not changed from January, the company said it has completed extensive regulatory work and believes approvals are achievable. The proposal also includes a $350 million reverse termination fee if the transaction fails to receive clearance.

Cintas Corporation (NASDAQ:CTAS) develops and manages uniform programs using fabric-based products. The company serves businesses of various sizes, mainly across the US, with additional operations in Canada and Latin America.