Fastenal (NASDAQ:FAST) Price Target Cut to $50.00 by Analysts at Robert W. Baird

Fastenal (NASDAQ:FAST) had its target price trimmed by Robert W. Baird from $52.00 to $50.00 in a research report released on Tuesday morning, Marketbeat reports. The firm currently has an outperform rating on the stock.

Several other brokerages also recently weighed in on FAST. Jefferies Financial Group set a $52.00 target price on shares of Fastenal and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed a “positive” rating and set a $45.00 target price on shares of Fastenal in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Fastenal from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. UBS Group reaffirmed 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 shares of Fastenal from $43.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $49.69.

Fastenal Price Performance

Shares of FAST opened at $44.62 on Tuesday. Fastenal has a fifty-two week low of $38.97 and a fifty-two week high of $50.63. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $46.10 and its 200 day moving average price is $43.73. The company has a market cap of $51.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.14, a PEG ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a quick ratio of 2.41, a current ratio of 4.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03.

Fastenal (NASDAQ:FAST) last announced its earnings results on Monday, April 13th. The company reported $0.30 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.30. Fastenal had a net margin of 15.39% and a return on equity of 33.25%. The firm had revenue of $2.20 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.19 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.52 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts forecast that Fastenal will post 2.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Fastenal Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 26th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 28th will be given a $0.24 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 28th. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Fastenal’s dividend payout ratio is currently 87.27%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Fastenal news, Director Reyne K. Wisecup sold 36,920 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the director directly owned 40,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,893,600. This represents a 48.00% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Scott Satterlee sold 15,964 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.19, for a total transaction of $705,449.16. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly 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 SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.28% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Fastenal

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC acquired a new position in shares of Fastenal in the 4th quarter valued at $496,000. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Fastenal by 2.4% in the 1st quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 6,276 shares of the company’s stock valued at $487,000 after buying an additional 147 shares in the last quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new position in shares of Fastenal in the 2nd quarter valued at $158,000. Jump Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Fastenal in the 2nd quarter valued at $2,199,000. Finally, Cary Street Partners Financial LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Fastenal by 111.0% in the 2nd quarter. Cary Street Partners Financial LLC now owns 3,367 shares of the company’s stock valued at $141,000 after buying an additional 1,771 shares in the last quarter. 81.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Fastenal

Here are the key news stories impacting Fastenal this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Sales growth and contract/pricing wins — Fastenal reported net sales of ~$2.20B, up ~12% YoY, driven by contract wins and pricing, which supports longer-term cash flow and capital returns. Fastenal 1Q Sales Jump on Pricing, Contract Wins
• Positive Sentiment: Bullish analyst actions — Bank of America raised its price target to $55 (largest upside among recent actions) and Robert W. Baird keeps an outperform stance with a $50 target, offering potential upside relative to current levels. BofA Raises PT to $55
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend maintained/increased cash returns — Fastenal announced the upcoming quarterly dividend, supporting income investors and signaling confidence in cash generation.
• Neutral Sentiment: Results essentially in-line — GAAP EPS of $0.30 met consensus and revenue slightly beat estimates; that removes a downside surprise but offers limited upside catalyst on its own. Zacks: Q1 Earnings Meet Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call transcript — Management acknowledged steady ramp in business since last summer but provided a cautious near-term tone; read the transcript for Q&A detail. Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Margin squeeze from tariffs and energy — Management said tariff and energy-related supplier cost increases are outpacing the company’s ability to pass through prices, pressuring gross margins. Fastenal Sees Pricing Challenges
• Negative Sentiment: Higher capex and Q2 caution — Fastenal reiterated elevated 2026 capex (~$310–$330M or ~\$320M in some reports) and flagged Q2 as potentially challenging, which can limit near-term free cash flow and margin expansion. Seeking Alpha: CapEx and Q2 Outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction and downgrades — The stock sold off sharply after the print (near-term drop and elevated price surprise metrics), and Wolfe Research moved to an “underperform” with a lower $45 target, adding selling pressure. Barchart: Sold Off on Q1 Wolfe Lowers PT to $45

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.