Wolfe Research Cuts Fastenal (NASDAQ:FAST) Price Target to $42.00

Fastenal (NASDAQ:FAST) had its price target lowered by stock analysts at Wolfe Research from $43.00 to $42.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,MarketScreener reports. The firm currently has an “underperform” rating on the stock. Wolfe Research’s price target points to a potential downside of 3.30% from the company’s current price.

A number of other brokerages have also commented on FAST. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “underperform” rating on shares of Fastenal in a research note on Wednesday. UBS Group raised Fastenal from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $45.00 to $52.00 in a report on Monday, December 15th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $52.00 target price on Fastenal and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Fastenal in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Barclays set a $43.00 price target on shares of Fastenal and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $48.55.

Fastenal Stock Up 1.9%

Shares of NASDAQ FAST opened at $43.43 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.19, a current ratio of 4.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03. The firm has a market cap of $49.86 billion, a PE ratio of 40.57, a P/E/G ratio of 3.15 and a beta of 0.90. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $41.25 and its 200 day simple moving average is $44.43. Fastenal has a 12-month low of $35.31 and a 12-month high of $50.63.

Fastenal (NASDAQ:FAST) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 20th. The company reported $0.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.26. Fastenal had a net margin of 15.34% and a return on equity of 32.69%. The company had revenue of $2.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.04 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.46 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Fastenal will post 2.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Fastenal

In other news, Director Hsenghung Sam Hsu bought 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 13th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $49.58 per share, with a total value of $49,580.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 10,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $495,800. The trade was a 11.11% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Sarah N. Nielsen purchased 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 19th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $39.60 per share, with a total value of $39,600.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 5,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $198,000. This trade represents a 25.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. 0.37% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Fastenal

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Riverview Trust Co grew its stake in Fastenal by 100.0% in the 2nd quarter. Riverview Trust Co now owns 584 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 292 shares in the last quarter. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. increased its stake in Fastenal by 71.6% in the third quarter. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. now owns 611 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 255 shares during the last quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in Fastenal during the third quarter valued at about $30,000. Private Wealth Management Group LLC lifted its stake in Fastenal by 111.9% during the second quarter. Private Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 642 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 339 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Fastenal in the 2nd quarter worth about $27,000. Institutional investors own 81.38% of the company’s stock.

Fastenal News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Fastenal this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 EPS matched consensus at $0.26 and revenue grew ~11% year?over?year, showing continued underlying demand across product lines. Fastenal Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Management is pushing digital-led growth and said investments (including AI/automation) should improve operational quality and sales over time; cash from operations rose materially, supporting the dividend and capital returns thesis. Fastenal Earnings Call Highlights
• Positive Sentiment: Balance sheet remains healthy (very low leverage) and the company continues a long streak of dividend increases, which supports income-focused investor interest. MarketBeat Fastenal Coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Company published the formal press release, slide deck and earnings call transcript — useful for digging into segment trends and the slide-by-slide details. Business Wire: Fastenal Reports 2025 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue missed the consensus by about $10M (reported $2.03B vs. ~$2.04B expected) and commentary flagged rising inventory costs and tariffs that compressed gross margins. That drove investor concern about near?term profitability. Fastenal shares slide after Q4 results show margin pressure
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts reacted by keeping conservative stances—several firms maintained Hold ratings and mid?$40s price targets, citing eroding pricing power and margin headwinds; that limited upside in the near term. TipRanks: Pricing Power Erodes
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction was negative on the combination of the revenue miss and margin commentary, with shares falling after the release—short?term momentum is impacted while investors digest whether cost pressures are temporary. Investing.com: Fastenal shares fall

Fastenal Company Profile

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.