# Fastenal Company (FAST) fundamentals

Data as of 2026-09-08. NASDAQ, United States. Sector: Industrials / Trading Companies & Distributors. Price $49.60, market value $56.9 billion.

## Valuation
- **P/E (trailing): 42.4×** (5-yr avg 31.9×, 3-yr avg 33.7×). Fastenal Company trades at 42.4× trailing earnings, well above its own five-year average of 31.9×: investors are paying up relative to the company's past. The Industrials median in the September 2026 study was 25.7×. Forward P/E is 35.4×, lower than trailing, so analysts expect earnings to grow.
- **PEG: 3.93**. A PEG of 3.93 means the P/E is high relative to expected earnings growth; the price already assumes a lot.
- **Price / sales: 6.5×**. Each dollar of revenue is priced at 6.5×.
- **Price / book: 14.0×**. The shares trade at 14.0× book value; most of the value is in earnings power and intangibles rather than the balance sheet.
- **Free-cash-flow yield: 2.0%** (5-yr avg 2.6%). Free cash flow equals 2.0% of the market value, below its five-year average of 2.6%, so the shares are pricier on cash than usual.
- **Earnings yield: 2.4%**. The inverse of the P/E: 2.4% of the price is earned each year.

## Profitability
- **Gross margin: 44.7%**. Fastenal Company keeps 44.7% of revenue after the direct cost of what it sells.
- **Operating margin: 20.3%**. 20.3% of revenue is left after running the business, a healthy level in most sectors.
- **Net margin: 15.3%**. 15.3% of each dollar of sales reaches the bottom line.
- **Return on equity: 31.9%**. 31.9% on shareholders' equity is excellent if it is not driven by leverage; sustained above 20% usually signals a competitive advantage.
- **Return on invested capital: 37.0%**. Return on all capital, debt included, is 37.0%: comfortably above what that capital costs.
- **Return on assets: 26.8%**. Each dollar of assets produces 26.8% of profit.

## Growth
- **Revenue growth (1 yr): 8.7%** (3-yr 5.5%/yr, 5-yr 7.7%/yr). Revenue grew 8.7% over the last year, against 7.7% a year compounded over five years.
- **EPS growth (1 yr): 9.0%** (3-yr 4.9%/yr, 5-yr 7.9%/yr). Earnings per share rose 9.0%, roughly in step with revenue.
- **Free-cash-flow growth (3 yr): 11.0%/yr**. Free cash flow has compounded at 11.0% a year over three years, keeping pace with earnings: the growth is real cash.

## Financial health
- **Debt to equity: 0.03**. Debt is 0.03 times equity: a conservative balance sheet.
- **Piotroski F-score: 6/9**. 6 of 9 checks pass: mixed.

## Dividends
- **Dividend yield: 1.93%** ($0.92 per share, trailing). Fastenal Company yields 1.93%, a modest yield more typical of a growth-oriented payer.
- **Payout ratio: 80%** (91% of free cash flow). 80% of earnings goes out as dividends, leaving a thin cushion.
- **Consecutive years of increases: 1**. 1 straight year of increases.
- **Dividend growth (5 yr): 4.6%/yr** (1-yr 12.2%). The dividend has grown 4.6% a year over five years.

## Analyst view
- **Analyst consensus: hold** (13 analysts). 13 analysts cover Fastenal Company; the consensus is hold, with an average price target of $48.53 (-2% from the current price). Analyst opinion is shown for context; it is not part of the Fundamental Score.

## Price and momentum
- **Total return (1 yr): 0.8%** (YTD 25.6%, 3-mo 6.6%). The shares are up 0.8% over twelve months including dividends.
- **From 52-week high: -6.3%** (27.3% above the low). Trading 6% below its 52-week high.
- **200-day average: above**. The price sits above its 200-day moving average, the usual definition of an uptrend.
- **RSI (14-day): 50**. An RSI of 50 is neutral.
- **Beta (1 yr): 0.54** (volatility 26%). Beta of 0.54 against the S&P 500: the shares move much less than the market.

Live score and charts: https://foliofundamentals.com/analyzer?s=FAST · Page: https://foliofundamentals.com/stocks/fast

Not investment advice.