Stock Market Update

[BRIEFING.COM] The major averages are little changed from previous levels. 

Cintas (CTAS 192.34, +4.77, +2.54%) confirmed its intention to acquire UniFirst (UNF 201.81, +31.65, +18.60%) for $275 per share in an all-cash transaction, representing a massive 64% premium to UniFirst's 90-day average closing price as of December 11, 2025. While shares of UNF are trading sharply higher on the news, they remain significantly below the $275 buyout offer, suggesting that the market is still pricing in substantial regulatory and board-level hurdles.

Cintas has been pursuing UniFirst since at least February 2022, when it initially offered $255 per share. After being repeatedly rebuffed, Cintas delivered its latest $275 proposal to the Board on December 12. Strategically, the merger would create a dominant force in the uniform rental space, delivering immense financial advantages through increased route density, shared processing capacity, and significant operational synergies that are expected to be immediately accretive to Cintas' earnings.