New York, Feb 10, 2026, 10:29 EST — Regular session
- UniFirst surged roughly 16% after reports surfaced that Cintas is in active acquisition discussions with the company.
- The stock remains far beneath Cintas’ December offer of $275 per share.
- Traders are on the lookout for a company statement or filing confirming the talks.
Shares of UniFirst Corp shot up 15.6% to $231.00 Tuesday morning, following a report indicating the uniform supplier has resumed talks with larger competitor Cintas over a potential sale.
This is significant: for months, the stock has been shadowed by speculation—now there’s an actual price. UniFirst remains about 16% under Cintas’s $275-a-share bid, so there’s still plenty of daylight for traders looking to capitalize.
That old question is back on the table: will UniFirst’s board actually come to the table now, or are we heading for another round of deadlock? The gap between UniFirst’s share price and the offer makes it clear—plenty of investors doubt the negotiations will actually stick this time.
According to people with knowledge of the situation, UniFirst is back at the table with Cintas, which put forward a renewed $275-per-share offer in December, Bloomberg News reported. While sources say the deal talks are under wraps, there’s still a chance the negotiations could fall apart.
Cintas shares climbed 2.8% in morning trade. That’s a modest gain—typical when the acquirer is the bigger player and investors begin sizing up discipline on price and potential deal risks.
Back in December, Cintas went public with its latest offer: $5.2 billion, translating to $275 a share in cash for UniFirst. That marked its third try, after previous efforts in 2022 and one more shot that fizzled last year. The bid also came with a $350 million reverse termination fee—essentially, a payout to UniFirst if regulators scuttle the deal. CEO Todd Schneider pushed the narrative that “stronger together than we are apart.” Reuters
UniFirst handles everything from workplace uniform rental and laundry to making uniforms and specialty garments, plus first-aid and safety products, its company profile shows.
Plenty could still go wrong here. UniFirst’s dual-class setup gives Class B shares ten votes apiece, piling up voting power and muddying the waters for any deal. Deciding isn’t just about the price, not with this structure.
At this point, the stock’s behaving more like a bet on whether the deal goes through than a sure thing. Investors are ponying up for a shot at UniFirst making a move, though the price is well below that $275 mark.
The next spark? Straightforward and close at hand: traders are on alert for any official word—be it a board update, SEC filing, or on-the-record comment—that either confirms negotiations or hints at a shift in the bid. Eyes are on headlines dropping before the U.S. market closes.
