Fastenal (NASDAQ:FAST) Price Target Raised to $44.00

Fastenal (NASDAQ:FAST) had its price objective raised by Barclays from $43.00 to $44.00 in a report published on Friday morning, MarketBeat.com reports. Barclays currently has an equal weight rating on the stock.

FAST has been the subject of a number of other reports. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $46.00 price objective on shares of Fastenal in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Raymond James Financial set a $48.00 target price on shares of Fastenal in a research report on Thursday. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on shares of Fastenal from $51.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group set a $52.00 price target on shares of Fastenal and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reissued a “positive” rating and issued a $45.00 price target on shares of Fastenal in a research note on Thursday. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $48.83.

Fastenal Trading Down 1.8%

FAST opened at $46.46 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $53.35 billion, a PE ratio of 42.24, a P/E/G ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 0.88. Fastenal has a one year low of $35.31 and a one year high of $50.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03, a quick ratio of 2.41 and a current ratio of 4.85. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $44.36 and its 200 day moving average price is $44.24.

Fastenal (NASDAQ:FAST) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, January 20th. The company reported $0.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.26. Fastenal had a return on equity of 32.83% and a net margin of 15.35%.The company had revenue of $2.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.04 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.46 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Fastenal will post 2.15 EPS for the current year.

Fastenal Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 26th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 29th were paid a $0.24 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, January 29th. This is an increase from Fastenal’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Fastenal’s payout ratio is 87.27%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Fastenal news, Director Scott Satterlee sold 15,964 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.19, for a total transaction of $705,449.16. Following the sale, the director owned 50,000 shares in the company, valued at $2,209,500. This represents a 24.20% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Reyne K. Wisecup sold 36,920 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.34, for a total value of $1,747,792.80. Following the completion of 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 disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Fastenal

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Fastenal in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $496,000. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC lifted its position in shares of Fastenal by 2.4% during the 1st quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 6,276 shares of the company’s stock worth $487,000 after purchasing an additional 147 shares during the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC acquired a new position in shares of Fastenal during the second quarter worth $39,000. Assetmark Inc. grew its stake in shares of Fastenal by 173.5% during the second quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 15,895 shares of the company’s stock worth $668,000 after purchasing an additional 10,084 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sigma Planning Corp increased its holdings in Fastenal by 70.7% in the second quarter. Sigma Planning Corp now owns 16,121 shares of the company’s stock valued at $677,000 after buying an additional 6,675 shares during the last quarter. 81.38% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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

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.