Blair William & Co. IL Grows Position in Fastenal Company $FAST

Blair William & Co. IL boosted its position in shares of Fastenal Company (NASDAQ:FAST) by 2.1% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 6,965,564 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 142,591 shares during the quarter. Fastenal makes up 0.9% of Blair William & Co. IL’s portfolio, making the stock its 19th biggest holding. Blair William & Co. IL owned 0.61% of Fastenal worth $341,591,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Fastenal by 1.6% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 151,515,539 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,430,322,000 after acquiring an additional 2,346,045 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Fastenal by 99.6% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 54,317,385 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,281,330,000 after purchasing an additional 27,107,520 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Fastenal by 103.4% in the second quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 45,995,937 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,931,830,000 after purchasing an additional 23,380,022 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Fastenal by 103.8% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 35,984,281 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,506,141,000 after purchasing an additional 18,329,847 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Fastenal by 141.9% in the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 15,973,759 shares of the company’s stock worth $670,898,000 after acquiring an additional 9,370,909 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.38% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Fastenal

In other news, Director Reyne K. Wisecup sold 36,920 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.34, for a total transaction of $1,747,792.80. Following the sale, the director directly owned 40,000 shares in the company, 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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Scott Satterlee sold 15,964 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the director directly owned 50,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,209,500. This trade represents a 24.20% 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.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “underperform” rating on shares of Fastenal in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Raymond James Financial set a $48.00 target price on shares of Fastenal in a research report on Thursday. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $46.00 price objective on shares of Fastenal in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on shares of Fastenal from $51.00 to $52.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed a “positive” rating and set a $45.00 price target on shares of Fastenal in a research report on Thursday. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $48.83.

Fastenal Stock Performance

Shares of FAST stock opened at $46.46 on Friday. 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 company’s fifty day moving average price is $44.36 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $44.31. The firm has a market capitalization of $53.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.24, a P/E/G ratio of 3.02 and a beta of 0.88. Fastenal Company has a 12 month low of $35.31 and a 12 month high of $50.63.

Fastenal (NASDAQ:FAST) last announced its earnings results 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 return on equity of 32.83% and a net margin of 15.35%.The business had revenue of $2.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.04 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.46 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts anticipate that Fastenal Company will post 2.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Fastenal Increases Dividend

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

Trending Headlines about Fastenal

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

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.