Mostly Markets
Subscribe
Stocks/Industrials/Trading Companies & Distributors

FastenalFAST

Trading Companies & Distributors · Winona, Minnesota · In the S&P 500
Solid businessPricier than peers
$51.91−1.22%After hours: $51.97 (+0.12%)At the close, 30 Oct · Prices from CNBC, may be delayed
▲ 26.3% over 1 year
Fastenal over 1 yearDaily close, $, to 30 Oct 2026
$40$45$50Nov2026MarMayJulSep$51.91$40$45$50NovMarJul$51.91
Source: Nasdaq daily closes
Market value$59.56B
Price to earnings42.1x
Forward P/E38.5x
Dividend yield2.00%
Year to date+29.4%
One year+26.3%
Next earningsNot scheduled
SectorIndustrials
52-week range (closes)
$39.15$52.73

Quality and valuation

How Fastenal compares with other industrials stocks. A description, not a recommendation.

Fastenal and 7 trading companies & distributors peers. Across: valuation (P/E) against the sector. Up: business quality against the sector. Hover or tap a logo for its numbers.

Business quality: about averageValuation: pricier than most

An average business among industrials companies, priced above most of them.

Fastenal trades at 38.5 times the next 12 months of expected earnings, against a median of 21.4x for the 89 industrials stocks we cover. The quality score blends where it ranks on revenue growth, gross margin, operating margin and free-cash-flow margin (net margin for banks and insurers) over the last 12 months, from SEC filings.

  • Revenue grew faster than the sector median: +13.5% vs +8.2%
  • Keeps more of each sale (gross margin): 44.6% vs 38.1%
  • More profitable (operating margin): 20.5% vs 17.5%
  • Turns less of its sales into cash: 13.0% vs 13.1%
FAST trades at 38.5x forward earnings, above the sector medianForward p/e, Trading Companies & Distributors peers
LMT20.6xCAT21.6xUNP22.3xRTX26.8xDE32.3xGE35.7xFAST38.5xGEV40.8xSector median 21.4xLMT20.6xCAT21.6xUNP22.3xRTX26.8xDE32.3xGE35.7xFAST38.5xGEV40.8xSector median 21.4x
Source: CNBC quotes; Mostly Markets
At 41.9x earnings, FAST is pricier than its average since Oct 2024Price over the last 12 months of reported (GAAP) diluted EPS
P/EUsual range (±1 s.d.)
40x45xAverage 40.9x2025202641.9x40x45xAverage 40.9x2025202641.9x
Source: Nasdaq prices; SEC filings

Financials

From Fastenal's SEC filings, through the quarter ending 30 Sep 2026. Hover or tap a bar for its value.

Revenue grew 15.5% from a year earlierQuarterly revenue, $bn, latest Q3 ’26
$0bn$1bn$2bnQ4 ’24Q2 ’25Q4 ’25$2.5bnQ3 ’26$0bn$1bn$2bnQ4 ’24Q2 ’25Q4 ’25$2.5bnQ3 ’26
Source: SEC filings
Growth sped up to +15.5% last quarterRevenue growth, year on year, %
0%5%10%15%Q4 ’24Q2 ’25Q4 ’2515.5%Q3 ’260%10%Q4 ’24Q2 ’25Q4 ’2515.5%Q3 ’26
Source: SEC filings
Operating margin was 21.5% last quarterOperating income as a share of revenue, %
0%10%20%Q4 ’24Q2 ’25Q4 ’2521.5%Q3 ’260%10%20%Q4 ’24Q2 ’25Q4 ’2521.5%Q3 ’26
Source: SEC filings
Free cash flow was $1.2 billion over 12 monthsQuarterly free cash flow (operating cash flow minus capex), $m
$0m$100m$200m$300mQ4 ’24Q2 ’25Q4 ’25$348mQ3 ’26$0m$200mQ4 ’24Q2 ’25Q4 ’25$348mQ3 ’26
Source: SEC filings
Last 12 monthsFASTSector median
Revenue growth+13.5%+8.2%
Gross margin44.6%38.1%
Operating margin20.5%17.5%
Free cash flow margin13.0%13.1%
Price to earnings42.1x25.8x

Stories on Fastenal

We haven't written about Fastenal yet. Follow it, and its first story will show under My stocks on the front page.

Similar companies

Trading Companies & Distributors, by market value.

CompanyPriceTodayYTDValue
GEGE Aerospace$301.80−3.59%−2.0%$312B
CATCaterpillar$622.75−3.81%+8.7%$286B
RTXRTX$199.80+0.20%+8.9%$270B
GEVGE Vernova$857.87−3.38%+31.3%$227B
DEDeere &$675.48+2.35%+45.1%$182B
UNPUnion Pacific$304.00+0.69%+31.4%$181B
LMTLockheed Martin$636.95−1.03%+31.7%$147B
ETNEaton$369.97−6.03%+16.2%$144B