Wolfe Research Has Lowered Expectations for Fastenal (NASDAQ:FAST) Stock Price

Fastenal (NASDAQ:FAST) had its price target decreased by equities researchers at Wolfe Research from $43.00 to $42.00 in a report released on Wednesday,MarketScreener reports. The firm presently has an “underperform” rating on the stock. Wolfe Research’s target price suggests a potential downside of 3.30% from the company’s current price.

A number of other equities analysts also recently weighed in on FAST. Barclays set a $43.00 price target on Fastenal and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on shares of Fastenal from $53.00 to $49.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 14th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $52.00 price objective on shares of Fastenal and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, December 15th. UBS Group raised Fastenal from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $45.00 to $52.00 in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Fastenal in a research note on Monday, December 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Fastenal has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $48.55.

Fastenal Stock Performance

Shares of FAST stock opened at $43.43 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03, a quick ratio of 2.19 and a current ratio of 4.26. Fastenal has a 52 week low of $35.31 and a 52 week high of $50.63. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $41.25 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $44.43. The company has a market capitalization of $49.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.15 and a beta of 0.90.

Fastenal (NASDAQ:FAST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 20th. The company reported $0.26 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.26. Fastenal had a net margin of 15.34% and a return on equity of 32.69%. The business had revenue of $2.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.04 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.46 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that Fastenal will post 2.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Fastenal

In other Fastenal news, Director Hsenghung Sam Hsu purchased 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 13th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $49.58 per share, for a total transaction of $49,580.00. Following the completion of the purchase, 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 purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Sarah N. Nielsen acquired 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 19th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $39.60 per share, with a total value of $39,600.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly 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 owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Fastenal

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Riverview Trust Co grew its stake in shares of Fastenal by 100.0% in the second quarter. Riverview Trust Co now owns 584 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 292 shares during the last quarter. Hilltop National Bank acquired a new position in shares of Fastenal in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Private Wealth Management Group LLC raised 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 buying an additional 339 shares during the last quarter. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Fastenal during the second quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. grew its holdings in Fastenal by 100.0% during the 2nd quarter. Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. now owns 696 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 348 shares during the period. 81.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Fastenal

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

About Fastenal

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.