FASTENAL CO · Building Materials, Hardware, Garden Supply

FAST

Low riskNext report: Around Jan 19, 2027 (est.)

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The short version

A high-quality, profitable business with growing sales. Institutions are adding.

Going well

Sales up 16% in the latest quarter vs a year ago
Profitable every year for 10 years
Brings in more cash than it spends

Money moves

No insider buying or selling in the last 30 days
Institutions added 3.6% to their holdings in the quarter ending June 2026 (672 bought, 602 sold)

Facts from SEC filings, not a recommendation.

What the price means

Price as of Oct 26

$52.48+1.1% that day

Company value: $60.2B; Share price times all shares
Price vs profit (P/E): 42.7x; You pay about $43 for each $1 of yearly profit
Price vs sales: 6.6x; Company value is 6.6 times a year of sales
Dividend yield: 1.7%; Yearly dividend as a share of today's price
Cash vs value: 0%; Cash as a share of company value
Debt vs value: 0%; Debt as a share of company value

From FAST's last IEX trade and its SEC filings (profits and sales over the last four quarters). A starting point for research, not a verdict.

The business over time

Last 12 quarters, from SEC filings

Sales, Sep '26

$2.5B+15% vs a year earlier

Dec '23Tap a barSep '26

Last 12 months: $9.1B, up 14% from the 12 months before. Over 5 years, sales grew about 7.7% a year.

What the price assumes

Your guesses, our math

Move the sliders to your own view of FAST. Starting points are the company's recent numbers.

Sales growth+14% a yearRecently: +14% a yearProfit margin16%Last 12 months: 15.6%P/E at the end40xToday: 42.7x. Many steady companies trade at 12x to 25xShare count change0% a yearBelow zero means buybacks; above zero means new shares (dilution)

Sales in 5 years$17.5B

Profit in 5 years$2.8B

Price these guesses point to$97.52+86% vs $52.48 todayAbout +13% a year, before dividends

What today's price needs: with a 16% margin and a 40x P/E, sales would have to grow about 0.7% a year for 5 years just to match today's price.

Simple math on your guesses, not a forecast or a price target. Real results depend on many things these sliders leave out.

Price

Price chart by TradingView.

Business quality

The checklist Warren Buffett-style investors use. Annual numbers for 2025.

7/7Strong

PassReturn on equity 15%+Earns a lot on the money owners have in the business.33.3%
PassDebt under half of equityNot relying on borrowed money.0.03x equity
PassNet margin 10%+Keeps at least 10 cents of profit from each dollar of sales.15.3%
PassProfitable every yearSteady profits, not one good year.10 of 10 years
PassFree cash flow positiveBrings in more cash than it spends to run and grow.$1.1B
PassShare count not growingNot diluting owners. Falling means buybacks.-0.1% in 3 years
PassGross margin 40%+Pricing power: sells for well above what it costs to make.45.0%

Revenue: $8.2B; +8.7% vs prior year
5-year growth: +7.7%/yr; revenue, per year
Total debt: $125.0M; 0.03x equity
Current ratio: 4.85x; short-term assets / bills due

From annual reports filed with the SEC. A checklist is a starting point for research, not a verdict.