FAST
Fastenal
$46.12
▲ 0.5%Updated Today 7:15 PM ET
▲ Up 10.6% over the last 12 months
Market Cap
$52.68B
P/E
40.53x
Forward P/E (est.)
35.97x
ROE
33.3%
Revenue Growth
10.9%
EPS Growth
12.7%
Profit Margin
15.4%
FCF Yield
5.0%
Debt / Equity
0.03x
ROIC
32.0%
Interest Coverage
153.31x
Current Ratio
4.39x
Dividend Yield
2.1%
Implied Growth (rev. DCF)
6.9%
Rating Score
61/100
Technical analysis reads price and volume to judge momentum and timing. It complements the fundamentals above — it does not replace them. Here is what FAST's chart says today, with each tool explained.
Trend — moving averages. A moving average is the average closing price over a window, which smooths out daily noise. FAST trades near $46.12, above its 50-day average ($45.08) and 200-day average ($44.39). Price above both averages, with the shorter one above the longer, is the textbook definition of an uptrend — momentum favours buyers.
Momentum — RSI. The Relative Strength Index runs 0–100 and measures how strong recent gains are versus losses. Above 70 is "overbought", below 30 "oversold". At 59 it is in neutral territory — neither stretched nor washed out.
MACD. MACD compares two moving averages to flag shifts in momentum. Its histogram is currently negative — short-term momentum is fading.
Volatility — ATR. Average True Range is the typical daily move. FAST's is $1.12 (~2.4% of price), so swings of about that size each day are normal — handy for setting a stop that isn't too tight.
Support & resistance. Over the last month FAST found buyers near $42.91 (support) and sellers near $47.78 (resistance); its 52-week range is $38.97–$50.63. A decisive break beyond either edge often marks the next move.
Volume. The latest session traded 1.6× the 20-day average — heavier than usual, which adds conviction to the move. Rising volume on up-days suggests real buying; on down-days, real selling.
Educational information to help you read a chart — not a recommendation or a forecast. It updates daily as the price and indicators change.
Fastenal (FAST) is a large-cap company in the Trading Companies & Distributors industry, part of the Industrials sector of the S&P 500, with a market value around $52.68B.
In its latest reported year it generated about $8.20B in revenue and $1.26B in net profit.
Our model rates FAST Favorable (61/100) on growth, profitability, financial health, and valuation. The summary below is built from its filed financials and current ratios and refreshes automatically.
4Y CAGR
8.1%
Revenue moved from $6.01B in 2021 to $8.20B in 2025, a 8.1% compound annual growth rate. The most recent year grew a steady 10.9% year over year. Consistent top-line growth is one sign of healthy demand.
Gross Margin
45.0%
Operating Margin
20.2%
Net Margin
15.3%
ROE
33.3%
Fastenal keeps about 15.4% of each sales dollar as net profit, with a 45.0% gross margin and 20.2% operating margin. Return on equity is 33.3% and return on invested capital about 32.0%. Margins this wide usually signal pricing power or a cost advantage.
Total Debt
$125.00M
Net Debt
-$183.60M
Net cash position
Net Debt / EBITDA
-0.11x
Debt / Equity
0.03x
Leverage: debt-to-equity is 0.0x, and operating profit covers interest about 153.3x, with a current ratio of 4.4x. That is a conservative balance sheet — a cushion in downturns. It carries roughly $125.00M of total debt against $308.60M of cash.
Operating CF
$1.30B
Free Cash Flow
$1.05B
FCF Margin
12.8%
In the latest year Fastenal produced about $1.30B of operating cash flow and $1.05B of free cash flow after capital spending. That is a free-cash-flow yield of about 5.0% on today's price. Strong cash generation funds dividends, buybacks, and reinvestment.
P/E
40.53x
P/S
6.45x
P/B
11.64x
EV / EBITDA
28.71x
FAST trades at 40.5x trailing earnings (about 36.0x on estimated forward earnings), 6.4x sales, and 11.6x book value. Reverse-engineering today's price implies the market expects roughly 6.9% long-term free-cash-flow growth. That is a rich multiple that prices in a lot of future growth.
Where this stock sits versus what most companies trade at.
Typical ranges are general references (e.g., many stocks trade at ~18–26x earnings), not hard rules. Context only — not investment advice.
How FAST stacks up against its Industrials peers — valuation, profitability, and growth versus the sector median.
In the Industrials sector (80 S&P 500 companies), FAST ranks #17 of 80 by our overall rating. It trades at a premium versus the sector on earnings (40.5x P/E vs. 30x median) with a higher return on equity (33.3% vs. 24.7%) and faster revenue growth (10.9% vs. 5.0%).
P/E vs sector
40.5x
median 30x
ROE vs sector
33.3%
median 24.7%
Growth vs sector
10.9%
median 5.0%
Sector rank
#17
of 80 by rating
Valuation vs. quality map
The sweet spot is upper-left: more profitable (higher ROE) for a lower P/E. Dashed lines mark the sector median.
Peers are the closest Industrials companies by sub-industry and size. Sector median is across all 80 S&P 500 names in the sector. Educational, not a recommendation.
Project revenue → earnings → price. Edit the assumptions to build your own case.
2030 price target (Base Case)
$45.14 – $74.02
vs. $46.12 today · expected CAGR -0% – 10%
| Metric | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $9.10B | $10.10B | $11.22B | $12.45B | $13.82B |
| Net income | $1.37B | $1.52B | $1.68B | $1.87B | $2.07B |
| EPS | $1.19 | $1.32 | $1.47 | $1.63 | $1.81 |
| Share price (low) | $29.73 | $33.00 | $36.63 | $40.66 | $45.14 |
| Share price (high) | $48.76 | $54.13 | $60.08 | $66.69 | $74.02 |
| CAGR (low–high) | -36% / 6% | -15% / 8% | -7% / 9% | -3% / 10% | -0% / 10% |
Educational model on sample fundamentals — not a forecast or investment advice. Outputs are only as good as your assumptions.
The case for FAST:
- Revenue is growing 10.9% a year, a sign of real demand.
- High net margins (15.4%) point to pricing power or efficiency.
- Strong return on equity (33.3%) shows capital is put to work well.
- Healthy free-cash-flow yield (~5.0%) funds buybacks and dividends.
- A conservative balance sheet (debt/equity 0.0x) lowers risk.
- Pays a 2.1% dividend on top of any price gains.
- Our model's overall read is Favorable (61/100).
The case against FAST:
- A rich 40.5x earnings multiple prices in a lot of growth.
- Like any single stock, it is exposed to competition, the economic cycle, and shifts in its end markets.
Valuation risk — at 40.5x earnings, disappointing results could compress the multiple.
Market risk — sector rotation, the economic cycle, and broad sentiment move the stock regardless of fundamentals.
On balance, the fundamentals screen favourably: Fastenal is a large-cap industrials business still growing nicely, with solid profitability, and a sound balance sheet. It trades at 40.5x earnings, which our model scores Favorable (61/100). Weigh this against your own goals and time horizon — this is educational information, not a recommendation.
Data notice. Fundamentals and financial statements are sourced from company filings (SEC EDGAR) and market-data providers; prices and market caps refresh on trading days and may be delayed. Ratings, projections, technical signals, and written summaries are model- or rule-generated for education and may simplify or lag the latest filings.
Not advice. Nothing on this page is investment advice or a recommendation to buy, hold, or sell any security. Do your own research and consult a licensed financial professional before investing.