Key Points
- Insider sale: Director Reyne Wisecup sold 36,920 Fastenal shares on March 5 at an average of $47.34 for roughly $1.75M, cutting her holding by 48% to 40,000 shares (SEC filing disclosed).
- Financials & dividend: Fastenal reported Q EPS of $0.26 (in line) and revenue of $2.03B (up 11.1% YoY), and boosted its quarterly dividend to $0.24 ($0.96 annualized, ~2.1% yield) with a payout ratio around 87%.
- Analyst/market view: Sentiment is mixed—Robert W. Baird raised its target to $52 (outperform) while Barclays sits at $44 (equal weight); the consensus average price target is about $48.83 with ratings split across Buy/Hold/Sell.
Fastenal Company (NASDAQ:FAST - Get Free Report) Director Reyne Wisecup sold 36,920 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.34, for a total transaction of $1,747,792.80. Following the sale, the director directly owned 40,000 shares in the company, valued at $1,893,600. This represents a 48.00% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.
Fastenal Price Performance
Shares of FAST opened at $46.46 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $53.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.24, a PEG ratio of 3.02 and a beta of 0.88. Fastenal Company has a fifty-two week low of $35.31 and a fifty-two week high of $50.63. The company has a quick ratio of 2.41, a current ratio of 4.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $44.36 and its 200 day moving average price is $44.31.
Fastenal (NASDAQ:FAST - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 20th. The company reported $0.26 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.26. The company had revenue of $2.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.04 billion. Fastenal had a net margin of 15.35% and a return on equity of 32.83%. The firm's revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.46 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Fastenal Company will post 2.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Fastenal Increases Dividend
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 26th. Investors of record on Thursday, January 29th were issued a $0.24 dividend. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. This is a boost from Fastenal's previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, January 29th. Fastenal's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 87.27%.
Fastenal News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting Fastenal this week:
- Positive Sentiment: February sales acceleration beat expectations, showing continued demand momentum that supports revenue growth and could underpin further upside for FAST. Fastenal’s February: Continued Sales Acceleration Tops Expectations
- Positive Sentiment: Robert W. Baird raised its price target to $52 and maintained an "outperform" rating, implying roughly double-digit upside vs. current levels — a clear near-term positive signal from a reputable sell-side firm. Baird raises Fastenal price target to $52
- Positive Sentiment: Technical/market commentary highlighted improved relative strength for Fastenal, which can attract momentum and quant-driven buying if the trend continues. Stocks generating improved relative strength: Fastenal
- Neutral Sentiment: Barclays nudged its target up to $44 but kept an "equal weight" rating — a modest lift in valuation but still signaling limited near-term upside from that shop. Barclays adjusts price target on Fastenal Company to $44 from $43; maintains equal-weight rating
- Neutral Sentiment: Benzinga published an analyst-roundup summarizing where Fastenal sits with the sell-side — useful context for consensus positioning but not a single catalyst. Where Fastenal Stands With Analysts
- Neutral Sentiment: Published short-interest data shows an implausible "0 shares" figure and NaN increases — this appears to be a reporting glitch, so it should not be interpreted as a real rise in short interest. (No reliable article link available.)
- Negative Sentiment: Director Reyne K. Wisecup sold 36,920 shares (~$1.75M at the sale price), cutting their holding by 48%. Insider selling at this scale can spook investors even if there are benign reasons; it's a notable near-term negative signal. Insider sale: Reyne K. Wisecup sold Fastenal shares
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Fastenal
Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Fastenal during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Palladiem LLC purchased a new position in shares of Fastenal in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Fastenal in the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. MV Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Fastenal during the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Finally, NewSquare Capital LLC lifted its position in Fastenal by 197.5% in the second quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 714 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 474 shares during the last quarter. 81.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
FAST has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Barclays increased their price target on Fastenal from $43.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed a "positive" rating and issued a $45.00 target price on shares of Fastenal in a report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of Fastenal in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on shares of Fastenal from $51.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday. Finally, Wolfe Research raised their price objective on shares of Fastenal from $42.00 to $43.00 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a report on Friday, February 27th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Fastenal has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $48.83.
View Our Latest Stock Report on Fastenal
About Fastenal
(
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Fastenal (NASDAQ: FAST) is a wholesale distributor of industrial and construction supplies, best known for its broad assortment of fasteners such as bolts, nuts, screws and anchors. Founded in Winona, Minnesota, Fastenal has grown from a regional supplier into a national and international distributor serving a wide range of end markets, including manufacturing, construction, maintenance, repair and operations (MRO), and government customers. The company is publicly traded and operates through a network of locally staffed branches combined with national distribution capabilities.
Product offerings extend beyond fasteners to include tools, safety and personal protective equipment, power transmission components, cutting and welding supplies, janitorial and material handling items, and other industrial consumables.
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