Fastenal Company (FAST)
Fastenal is a massive American supplier that keeps factories and construction sites running by providing everything from nuts and bolts to safety gear.
Is Fastenal Company a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: There's no rating here and nothing for sale. In its favour: Strong profit margins for a distributor. Worth weighing: High valuation compared to typical industrial firms. Below, we lay out what it does, what its numbers mean, and the honest risks, so you can decide for yourself.
Over about 2 years to 2026-07-31. This is the share price only - reinvesting the dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
How much has Fastenal Company actually fallen?
Over the last 2 years of daily prices, Fastenal Company fell as much as −22% from a high to a later low. Drops of this size are a normal part of owning a share - worth knowing in advance, so a dip doesn't come as a shock.
Worst peak-to-trough fall in the daily closing price over the period we hold. Past falls are not a forecast - it can fall further, or recover.
Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.
Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.
Dominance in industrial supply logistics
Long-term decline in industrial manufacturing
What does Fastenal Company do?
Think of Fastenal as the ultimate industrial supply cupboard for businesses, delivering essential parts directly to factory floors and construction sites. The cash rolls in from selling these everyday items in bulk and managing inventory for clients so they never run out of what they need. Their fortunes hinge on how well they run their supply chain and whether industrial customers keep spending on maintenance and expansion.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on quality and momentum, and weakest on value.
- ✓Pays a dividend - about 2.0% a year
- ✓Growing - revenue up about 15% over the year
- ✓Very profitable - turns about 15% of sales into profit
- !High P/E of 41 - big growth is already priced in
- ✓Low debt - a sturdier balance sheet
- ✓Strong return on shareholder money (ROE 34%)
- Quality screens high (70/100)
- Strong profit margins for a distributor
- High efficiency in using shareholder capital
- Less volatile than the average stock
- Value screens low (17/100)
- Economic slowdown reducing factory output
- Supply chain disruptions increasing costs
- Increased competition from online industrial marketplaces
What do Fastenal Company's numbers mean?
How much money does Fastenal Company make?
Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.
Does Fastenal Company pay a dividend?
Yes - Fastenal Company currently pays a dividend of about 2.0% a year (the yearly payout as a share of the price). A dividend is a slice of profit handed to shareholders; the yield moves as the price moves, and a company can cut or stop it.
What do the numbers say about Fastenal Company's dividend?
There's no rating here, and we don't judge whether the dividend will continue - that would be advice. Here are the figures income investors usually look at, and what each one means, so you can weigh it up yourself.
Figures are from the latest available data and can be distorted by one-off results. Past payments don't predict future ones, and a dividend can be cut at any time. This lays out the numbers to help you understand them - it is not a view on what will happen.
When does Fastenal Company report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
Fastenal Company is next scheduled to report on about 2026-10-14 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
Each quarter a company reports its results against what analysts expected. ‘Beating’ or ‘missing’ is about that expectation, not whether the business is doing well in absolute terms.
| Reported | Expected EPS: The earnings per share analysts expected for the quarter - the average of their forecasts. 'Beating' or 'missing' is measured against this number. | Actual EPS | vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-14 | $0.33 | $0.33 | Beat +1% |
| 2026-04-13 | $0.30 | $0.30 | In line |
| 2026-01-20 | $0.26 | $0.26 | In line |
| 2025-10-13 | $0.30 | $0.29 | Missed -2% |
| 2025-07-14 | $0.27 | $0.29 | Beat +7% |
| 2025-04-11 | $0.26 | $0.26 | In line |
Across the last 6 quarters here, Fastenal Company came in ahead of what analysts expected 2 times. One quarter is noise, not a trend.
See who else reports over the next two weeks →
Reported vs expected earnings per share (EPS) from published results; the expectation is the analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates that can move.
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An illustrative range for the year ahead, with the assumption behind each case — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros and cons of Fastenal Company?
How many points the write-up makes each way — a balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Strong profit margins for a distributor
- High efficiency in using shareholder capital
- Less volatile than the average stock
- Reliable dividend payer
- High valuation compared to typical industrial firms
- Relies heavily on the health of the manufacturing sector
- Limited pricing power if costs rise sharply
- Economic slowdown reducing factory output
- Supply chain disruptions increasing costs
- Increased competition from online industrial marketplaces
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A significant, sustained drop in manufacturing activity
- A major shift in how companies source their industrial parts
Built from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →
This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-02 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.