With a market cap. of $57.9 billion, Fastenal Company (FAST) is a wholesale distributor of industrial and construction supplies operating across the United States, Canada, Mexico, and other international markets. Headquartered in Winona, Minnesota, the company provides a wide range of products, including fasteners, hardware, and maintenance supplies to industries such as manufacturing, construction, and government sectors.
Fastenal is scheduled to release its fiscal Q3 2026 results before the market opens on Wednesday, Oct. 14. Ahead of this event, analysts forecast the company to post an EPS of $0.34, an increase of 17.2% from $0.29 in the year-ago quarter. It has met Wall Street's earnings estimates in three of the last four quarters while missing on another occasion.
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For fiscal 2026, analysts expect the industrial supplier to report an EPS of $1.26, up 15.6% from $1.09 in fiscal 2025.
www.barchart.com Shares of Fastenal have risen 3.7% over the past 52 weeks, underperforming the S&P 500 Index's ($SPX) 15.7% gain and the State Street Industrial Select Sector SPDR ETF’s (XLI) 10.6% return over the same period.
www.barchart.com Fastenal shares fell 2.8% on Jul. 14 despite Q2 2026 revenue of $2.39 billion, which rose 14.7% year-over-year and exceeded the consensus, because EPS of $0.33 only matched estimates. Profitability also faced pressure as gross margin declined to 44.6% due to unfavorable pricing-cost dynamics, customer mix, and higher transportation costs, with operating margin remaining flat at 21%.
Analysts' consensus view on FAST stock is cautious, with a "Hold" rating overall. Among 17 analysts covering the stock, six recommend "Strong Buy," eight suggest "Hold," and three advise "Strong Sell." This configuration is slightly more bullish than three months ago, with five analysts suggesting a "Strong Buy."
The average analyst price target of $50.77 is a marginal premium to current levels.
On the date of publication, Sohini Mondal did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
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