First Trust Advisors LP Sells 136,389 Shares of Fastenal Company $FAST

First Trust Advisors LP trimmed its position in Fastenal Company (NASDAQ:FAST) by 5.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,198,291 shares of the company’s stock after selling 136,389 shares during the quarter. First Trust Advisors LP owned 0.19% of Fastenal worth $107,804,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Neo Ivy Capital Management bought a new stake in Fastenal in the 3rd quarter worth $942,000. Neuberger Berman Group LLC increased its position in shares of Fastenal by 1,101.2% in the third quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 1,058,926 shares of the company’s stock valued at $51,930,000 after acquiring an additional 970,773 shares during the period. Chapman Financial Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Fastenal during the third quarter valued at about $235,000. Marietta Investment Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Fastenal by 1.6% during the third quarter. Marietta Investment Partners LLC now owns 97,278 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,771,000 after purchasing an additional 1,562 shares during the period. Finally, Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Fastenal by 0.7% during the third quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC now owns 171,654 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,418,000 after purchasing an additional 1,162 shares during the period. 81.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Fastenal news, Director Scott Satterlee sold 15,964 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, January 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.19, for a total value of $705,449.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 50,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,209,500. This represents a 24.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Reyne K. Wisecup sold 36,920 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the director directly owned 40,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,893,600. This represents a 48.00% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Fastenal Stock Performance

Shares of FAST opened at $46.46 on Monday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $44.36 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $44.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03, a current ratio of 4.85 and a quick ratio of 2.41. The firm has a market capitalization of $53.35 billion, a PE ratio of 42.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 0.88. Fastenal Company has a one year low of $35.31 and a one year high of $50.63.

Fastenal (NASDAQ:FAST) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, January 20th. The company reported $0.26 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.26. Fastenal had a return on equity of 32.83% and a net margin of 15.35%.The firm had revenue of $2.03 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.04 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.46 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that Fastenal Company will post 2.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Fastenal Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 26th. Investors of record on Thursday, January 29th were paid a $0.24 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, January 29th. This is a positive change from Fastenal’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. Fastenal’s payout ratio is currently 87.27%.

More Fastenal News

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on FAST. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “underperform” rating on shares of Fastenal in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Fastenal in a report on Monday, December 29th. Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Fastenal in a research report on Thursday. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $46.00 target price on shares of Fastenal in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Barclays upped their target price on Fastenal from $43.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $48.83.

Fastenal 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.