March 26 (Reuters) - Cintas ( CTAS ) raised its annual

profit forecast on Wednesday, banking on resilient demand for

its uniform rentals and fire-safety supplies, as well as

benefits from cost-saving measures, sending its shares up nearly

7.5% in early trading.

The Ohio-based company also raised the lower end of its

organic revenue growth forecast and topped analysts' estimate

for third-quarter profit.

Cintas ( CTAS ) has benefited from steady job growth in the United

States as businesses increased their need for supplies of

services such as facility cleaning and first-aid training, along

with rental uniforms.

The company is also offering bundled products at a lower

price compared to what it charges for individual services, in an

effort to retain customers.

Besides, it has heavily invested in technology to reduce

costs, such as in a routing system called SmartTruck - an

application showing shorter routes to its delivery destinations,

helping it save time and fuel.

The uniform rental company now expects its fiscal 2025

profit per share to be between $4.36 and $4.40, compared with

its previous forecast of $4.28 to $4.34.

Cintas ( CTAS ) also benefited from slowing the pace of price

increases in recent quarters and had previously hinted that

future hikes will depend on how inflation is pressuring

customers.

The company expects its organic revenue to grow between 7.4%

and 7.7%, compared with its prior range of a 7% to 7.7% rise.

Its third-quarter revenue rose 8.4% to $2.61 billion.

Analysts' on average estimated $2.60 billion, according to data

compiled by LSEG.

Cintas ( CTAS ) posted a per-share profit of $1.13 for the quarter

ended February 28, beating expectation of $1.06.

Separately, the company said on Monday it has terminated

discussions related to the acquisition of rival UniFirst ( UNF )

.