Fastenal (FAST)
Industrials · Industrial supplies distribution
Industrial and construction supplies distributor serving manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors through a global network of physical locations, vending systems, and managed inventory programs.
What Fastenal does
Fastenal is a distributor of industrial and construction supplies operating through a network of approximately 1,595 branch locations across 25 countries. The company sells fasteners, tools, safety equipment, and other supplies across nine major product lines to business-to-business customers primarily through physical "Sites" at customer locations. Fastenal leverages Fastenal Managed Inventory (FMI) programs including FASTStock, FASTBin, and FASTVend vending systems, integrated supply programs, and eBusiness capabilities to provide tailored inventory and procurement solutions. The company operates 15 distribution centers globally with 12 in the US, serving manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors with a focus on high-volume customer relationships exceeding $50,000 monthly spend potential.
Themes: ["B2B industrial distribution","Manufacturing supply chain","Managed inventory solutions","Cost reduction and procurement optimization","Vending and automation","Global logistics and distribution","Small and mid-market industrial"]
Fundamentals
- Price$46.35 as of 2026-07-09 close
- Market cap$53.3B as of 2026-07-10
- 1-year return+6.8% as of 2026-07-09 close
- P/E41.05 as of 2026-07-10
- Net margin+15.4% as of 2026-07-10
- Gross margin+44.9% as of 2026-07-10
- ROE+33.3% as of 2026-07-10
- Debt / equity0.03 as of 2026-07-10
- Revenue growth (YoY)+10.9% as of 2026-07-10
- Revenue CAGR (3y)+5.5% SEC XBRL
- Beta0.71 as of 2026-07-10
Dividend: yield +2.1%; 2-year non-decreasing per-share dividend streak (SEC XBRL).
Key risks (from latest filing)
["Economic sensitivity: significant exposure to manufacturing and construction end-markets, which are cyclical and susceptible to economic downturns affecting customer spending","Foreign currency exposure: operations in 25 countries create exposure to currency fluctuations that could impact consolidated financial results and translated earnings","Inventory management: large inventory balances ($1.69B as of Q1 2026) expose the company to obsolescence risk, markdowns, and working capital pressures if sales decline"]
Competitors & peers
- Grainger (GWW)
- Applied Industrial Technologies (AIT)
- HD Supply Holdings (HDS)
- MSC Industrial Direct (MSM)
- Anixter International
- ScanSource
Fundamentals: Finnhub, as of 2026-07-10. Filings: SEC EDGAR. Prices are delayed daily-close data.
Last updated 2026-07-09.
Informational only — NOT financial advice. All figures are delayed daily-close data from SEC EDGAR & Finnhub, shown with their as-of date.