Fastenal Company (FAST)
NASDAQ:FAST
Want to see FAST full AI Analyst Report?
Top Page
Fastenal Company
(NASDAQ:FAST)
Select Model
Select Model
Rating:76Outperform
Price Target:
$51.00
â–²(11.40% Upside)
Action:ReiteratedDate:04/25/26
Score is led by strong financial quality (margins, low leverage, strong returns and cash flow) and a generally positive earnings-call backdrop with solid demand, digital/FMI momentum and operating leverage. The rating is tempered by a high P/E valuation and a neutral-to-soft technical picture with limited positive momentum and near-term gross-margin headwinds.
Positive Factors
Strong cash generation and conversion
Consistent high operating cash flow and FCF (TTM $1.41B and $1.16B) underpin durable capital allocation — funds ongoing FMI rollouts, modest capex, dividends and buybacks while absorbing cyclical dips without stressing liquidity or financing needs.
Negative Factors
Gross margin pressure from pricing lag and tariffs
When supplier costs and tariffs outpace realized pricing, margin compression can persist for multiple quarters until pricing cycles complete. Structural supplier pricing power and tariff exposure can erode unit economics across core product categories if not fully passed through.
Read all positive and negative factors
Positive Factors
Negative Factors
Strong cash generation and conversion
Consistent high operating cash flow and FCF (TTM $1.41B and $1.16B) underpin durable capital allocation — funds ongoing FMI rollouts, modest capex, dividends and buybacks while absorbing cyclical dips without stressing liquidity or financing needs.
Read all positive factors
Fastenal Company (FAST) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)
Market Cap
$51.98B
Dividend Yield2.1%
Average Volume (3M)7.98M
Price to Earnings (P/E)39.2
Beta (1Y)0.57
Revenue Growth10.94%
EPS Growth12.68%
CountryUS
Employees21,339
SectorIndustrials
Sector Strength72
IndustryIndustrial - Distribution
Share Statistics
EPS (TTM)0.30
Shares Outstanding1,148,035,000
10 Day Avg. Volume8,879,904
30 Day Avg. Volume7,981,321
Financial Highlights & Ratios
PEG Ratio3.66
Price to Book (P/B)11.68
Price to Sales (P/S)5.62
P/FCF Ratio43.84
Enterprise Value/Market Cap0.99
Enterprise Value/Revenue6.09
Enterprise Value/Gross Profit13.57
Enterprise Value/Ebitda28.52
Forecast
1Y Price Target
$48.80Price Target Upside6.60% Upside
Rating ConsensusModerate Buy
Number of Analyst Covering7
EPS Forecast (FY)1.24
Revenue Forecast (FY)$9.10B
Fastenal Company Business Overview & Revenue Model
Company Description
Fastenal Company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the wholesale distribution of industrial and construction supplies in the United States, Canada, Mexico, North America, and internationally. It offers fasteners, and related industrial a...
How the Company Makes Money
Fastenal primarily makes money by selling industrial and construction supplies to business customers, generating revenue through product sales across a broad MRO catalog (with fasteners as a foundational category and additional lines such as safet...
Fastenal Company Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Any
Revenue By Geography
Breaks down revenue across different regions, revealing where the company is strongest and where it may face risk or growth potential due to local economic conditions or market share shifts.
Breaks down revenue across different regions, revealing where the company is strongest and where it may face risk or growth potential due to local economic conditions or market share shifts.
Data provided by:
The Fly
The FlyFastenal Company Earnings Call Summary
Earnings Call Date:Apr 13, 2026
(Q1-2026)
| % Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Jul 09, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The call conveyed strong organic growth, accelerating digital adoption, expanded enterprise contracts, solid operating leverage and cash generation — offset by near-term gross margin pressure driven by tariffs, branded supplier cost increases, and delayed pricing execution. Management reiterated its strategic priorities (key accounts, FMI growth, international expansion) and committed to continued pricing actions and cost discipline. While Q2 may remain challenging on a price/cost basis, the underlying demand, market share gains, and financial discipline suggest a constructive multi-quarter outlook.Positive Updates
Strong Top-Line Growth
Daily sales increased 12.4% year over year to $34.9 million per day for the quarter, marking the third consecutive quarter of double-digit growth.
Negative Updates
Gross Margin Pressure from Pricing Lag
Gross margin was approximately 40 basis points below the company's Q1 target and roughly 50 basis points below prior-year levels because tariff-related and other cost increases moved through the P&L faster than pricing actions could be implemented.
Read all updates
Q1-2026 Updates
Positive
Negative
Strong Top-Line Growth
Daily sales increased 12.4% year over year to $34.9 million per day for the quarter, marking the third consecutive quarter of double-digit growth.
Read all positive updates
Company Guidance
Guidance highlights: management reiterated full‑year net capital expenditures of about $320 million (≈3.5% of net sales) with Q1 net CapEx ≈ $58 million, said pricing actions will continue (maintaining a cumulative 5–8% pricing expectation and expecting price/cost dynamics to start plateauing around midyear), and confirmed prior incremental‑margin commentary (high‑20s possible); they view AIPA/122/232 tariff changes as limited in P&L impact (232 unchanged). Key operating metrics cited as context for the outlook: Q1 daily sales +12.4% to $34.9M/day, operating margin 20.3% (+20 bps YoY), gross margin ~40 bps below their Q1 target (≈50 bps YoY shortfall) with realized pricing ~3.5% YoY (vs 3.3% in Q4), SG&A 24.3% of sales (vs 25% LY), digital channels 61.5% of sales (digital daily sales +13.6%), FMI driving ~45% of Q1 sales (FMI signings ≈7,000 in the quarter, ~110/day, +8% YoY; active devices +≈6%), e‑business daily sales +~7% (electronic transactions ≈30% of sales), operating cash flow ≈$378M (111% of net income), Q1 shareholder returns $296M (≈87% of net income), and TTM ROIC ≈31% (up ~180 bps).Fastenal Company Financial Statement Overview
Summary
Income Statement
86
Very Positive
Balance Sheet
90
Very Positive
Cash Flow
84
Very Positive
| Breakdown | TTM | Dec 2025 | Dec 2024 | Dec 2023 | Dec 2022 | Dec 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Income Statement | ||||||
| Total Revenue | 8.44B | 8.20B | 7.55B | 7.35B | 6.98B | 6.01B |
| Gross Profit | 3.79B | 3.69B | 3.40B | 3.35B | 3.22B | 2.78B |
| EBITDA | 1.80B | 1.66B | 1.69B | 1.71B | 1.63B | 1.39B |
| Net Income | 1.30B | 1.26B | 1.15B | 1.16B | 1.09B | 925.00M |
Balance Sheet | ||||||
| Total Assets | 5.21B | 5.05B | 4.70B | 4.46B | 4.55B | 4.30B |
| Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments | 308.60M | 276.80M | 255.80M | 221.30M | 230.10M | 236.20M |
| Total Debt | 445.50M | 441.90M | 485.40M | 535.00M | 802.10M | 636.80M |
| Total Liabilities | 1.22B | 1.11B | 1.08B | 1.11B | 1.39B | 1.26B |
| Stockholders Equity | 3.99B | 3.94B | 3.62B | 3.35B | 3.16B | 3.04B |
Cash Flow | ||||||
| Free Cash Flow | 1.16B | 1.05B | 946.80M | 1.26B | 767.20M | 613.50M |
| Operating Cash Flow | 1.41B | 1.30B | 1.17B | 1.43B | 941.00M | 770.10M |
| Investing Cash Flow | -234.70M | -231.00M | -214.50M | -161.20M | -163.00M | -148.50M |
| Financing Cash Flow | -1.11B | -1.05B | -913.70M | -1.28B | -774.90M | -627.10M |
Fastenal Company Technical Analysis
Positive
45.78
Price Trends
45.98
Negative
43.95
Positive
44.55
Positive
Market Momentum
0.02
Positive
49.61
Neutral
23.52
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For FAST, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 45.78 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 45.81, below the 50-day MA of 45.98, and above the 200-day MA of 44.55, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of 0.02 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 49.61 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 23.52 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for FAST.
Fastenal Company Risk Analysis
Fastenal Company disclosed 34 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Fastenal Company reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks
Fastenal Company Peers Comparison
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (63)
Name | Overall Rating | Market Cap | P/E Ratio | ROE | Dividend Yield | Revenue Growth | EPS Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
77 Outperform | $11.12B | 24.95 | 21.74% | 0.70% | 6.14% | 6.24% | |
77 Outperform | $54.81B | 28.33 | 45.93% | 0.86% | 4.51% | -8.75% | |
76 Outperform | $51.98B | 39.20 | 33.25% | 2.10% | 10.94% | 12.68% | |
66 Neutral | $15.36B | 18.92 | 13.02% | 0.72% | 7.76% | -0.29% | |
63 Neutral | $10.79B | 15.43 | 7.44% | 2.01% | 2.89% | -14.66% | |
62 Neutral | $5.82B | 31.30 | 15.00% | 3.96% | 2.16% | -2.18% | |
50 Neutral | $14.67B | 19.30 | 1.31% | 3.33% | 4.79% | -92.77% |
* Industrials Sector Average
FAST
Fastenal Company
44.68
5.36
13.64%
AIT
Applied Industrial Technologies
301.24
60.65
25.21%
GPC
Genuine Parts Company
105.41
-9.06
-7.91%
MSM
MSC Industrial
102.89
28.86
38.99%
GWW
WW Grainger
1,160.14
156.32
15.57%
WCC
Wesco International
306.43
146.08
91.10%
Fastenal Company Corporate Events
Executive/Board ChangesShareholder Meetings
Fastenal Shareholders Endorse Leadership, Reject Added Diversity Reporting
Positive
Apr 24, 2026
At its April 23, 2026 annual meeting in Winona, Minnesota, Fastenal shareholders elected an 11-member board of directors and overwhelmingly ratified PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as independent auditor for the 2026 fiscal year. Investors also backed ...
Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Disclaimer
This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.