Yahoo · Oct 16, 2026
Fastenal: 3 Key Takeaways for Long-Term Investors
Automation is cutting headcount growth to near zero while sales accelerate, a rare combination that reveals how Fastenal compounds competitive advantage.
NYSE · FAST
Fastenal Company
Industrials · Industrial - Distribution
$51.02
Up+$0.64 (+1.27%)
Updated Oct 18, 2026, 8:29 PM
SID Score
7.2/10
Composite research score
Smart Money
58/100
Neutral
- Market cap
- 47.93B
- P/E ratio
- 39.08
- Dividend yield
- 2.57%
- 52-week range
- $39.86 – $52.92
- Volume
- 10.47M
- Avg. volume
- 6.61M
Price performance · FAST
FAST price history
1M range · 20 trading sessions · Daily adjusted prices
Prices through Oct 16, 2026
FAST closed at $51.02 after 20 trading sessions, up 2.76% for the selected period.
- Last close
- $51.02
- Period change
- +2.76%
- Period low
- $49.53
- Period high
- $52.00
Daily close
View OHLC price history
| Date | Open | High | Low | Close | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 16, 2026 | $50.77 | $51.19 | $50.375 | $51.02 | 10.47M |
| Oct 15, 2026 | $52.19 | $52.82 | $49.785 | $50.38 | 13.46M |
| Oct 14, 2026 | $47.505 | $52.425 | $47.30 | $52.00 | 25.4M |
| Oct 13, 2026 | $52.00 | $52.00 | $50.68 | $51.43 | 10.06M |
| Oct 12, 2026 | $51.00 | $51.83 | $50.85 | $51.49 | 6.19M |
| Oct 9, 2026 | $50.49 | $50.92 | $50.12 | $50.75 | 5.23M |
| Oct 8, 2026 | $49.74 | $50.82 | $49.54 | $50.49 | 6.77M |
| Oct 7, 2026 | $50.49 | $50.80 | $49.77 | $49.83 | 6.6M |
| Oct 6, 2026 | $50.63 | $51.385 | $50.53 | $50.81 | 4.71M |
| Oct 5, 2026 | $50.62 | $50.985 | $49.99 | $50.69 | 5.56M |
| Oct 2, 2026 | $50.60 | $51.04 | $50.43 | $50.75 | 7.16M |
| Oct 1, 2026 | $49.42 | $50.27 | $49.1091 | $50.225 | 6.2M |
| Sep 30, 2026 | $50.34 | $50.37 | $49.53 | $49.53 | 10.47M |
| Sep 29, 2026 | $50.37 | $50.725 | $49.86 | $49.96 | 7.6M |
| Sep 28, 2026 | $50.17 | $50.805 | $50.04 | $50.49 | 6.78M |
| Sep 25, 2026 | $50.53 | $51.05 | $50.255 | $50.43 | 6.81M |
| Sep 24, 2026 | $50.90 | $51.41 | $50.345 | $50.73 | 10.27M |
| Sep 23, 2026 | $50.12 | $51.04 | $49.94 | $50.99 | 7.96M |
| Sep 22, 2026 | $49.76 | $50.195 | $49.57 | $50.08 | 6.74M |
| Sep 21, 2026 | $48.94 | $49.70 | $48.525 | $49.65 | 4.47M |
Latest FAST news
The latest Smart Investors Daily articles mentioning FAST.
Stock researchCompany · Overview
Company
Market Activity
Research & News
FAST research
Overview
Company profile and research snapshot.
Company profile
Fastenal began as an industrial retailer, expanding its product portfolio from nuts and bolts to cutting tools, safety equipment, and janitorial supplies. It transitioned into a distributor by building out a dense network of branches close to its business customers. Once a customer becomes large enough, Fastenal installs vending machines and its own personnel on-site. Today, these on-site locations exceed Fastenal's branch count and remain the firm's main focus for expansion. Fastenal acts as a one-stop outsourcing partner for its industrial customers, offering value-added services along with a wide breadth of maintenance, repair, and operations supplies.
Visit company websiteAnalyst outlook
Consensus and target data currently published for this company.
- Consensus
- Hold
- Average target
- $63.25
- Implied upside
- —
- Analysts
- 8
| Date | Firm | Rating | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 15, 2026 | DA Davidson | Neutral | — |
| Oct 15, 2026 | Bernstein | Underperform | — |
| Oct 15, 2026 | Baird | Outperform | — |
| Jul 16, 2026 | Morgan Stanley | Equal-Weight | — |
| Jul 16, 2026 | Barclays | Equal-Weight | — |
News briefing
Generated Oct 18, 2026, 5:12 PM
Why Is FAST Up Today? Q3 Earnings Margin Strength Outweighs Valuation Concerns
Fastenal shares gained 1.27% today as investors digested mixed Q3 results that showcased the company's underlying margin power despite some analyst skepticism about valuation. The modest rally suggests the market is rewarding operational execution even as fundamental questions about growth and pricing persist.
Bottom line: Fastenal's today's gains reflect investor recognition of solid operational execution and margin strength, though the mixed analyst sentiment suggests the stock remains a 'show me' story on growth. Investors should monitor whether the company can reignite organic revenue growth while sustaining margins—a critical inflection point that will determine if recent price action is justified.
Yahoo · Oct 16, 2026
Fastenal (FAST) Q3 Results Highlight Margin Power Behind A 3% Stock Dip
Fastenal came into this Q3 2026 report priced for excellence, trading on a rich 40.8x trailing P/E after a solid 12‑month run. The stock still slipped about 3% in the first full session after the release, which suggests expectations were high and patience was thin. The headline is simple. Fastenal delivered another quarter of strong profit momentum, with Q3 basic earnings per share at US$0.35 on revenue of US$2.46b and a trailing net margin of 15.6%. While the market focused on the premium...
SeekingAlpha · Oct 15, 2026
Fastenal Q3: The Math Behind My Sell Rating
Fastenal Company Q3: sales +15.5% YoY, digital growth and margin gainsâbut ~40x earnings looks pricey. Click for this FAST earnings update.
Yahoo · Oct 15, 2026
Fastenal Flashes Bullish Signal as Uptrend Holds Despite Margin Pressure
Fastenal's Q3 revenue rose 15.5% and beat estimates despite margin compression, prompting analyst price target increases, while its dividend and capital return outlook remain intact.
AI research layers
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