Fastenal Co (FAST) Stock Analysis

Verdict: WATCH (do not buy)

Elite operational efficiency and fortress balance sheet are overshadowed by a 41x P/E and a consistent three-quarter earnings miss streak.

Investment score: 48/100

Analysis as of 2026-07-10

Is Fastenal Co stock worth reviewing? The TradeMates thesis

FAST is an operationally perfect company trading at a price that leaves no margin for error. A 41x P/E for 10-12% growth is unsustainable in the current rate environment.

7-factor investment score

Valuation: 25/100 (weight 20%)
Financial Health: 90/100 (weight 15%)
Technical Momentum: 50/100 (weight 15%)
Earnings Quality: 35/100 (weight 15%)
Insider Sentiment: 40/100 (weight 10%)
Analyst Consensus: 45/100 (weight 10%)
Risk-Adjusted Return: 55/100 (weight 15%)

Fastenal Co opportunities and risks

What speaks for FAST

Deep Customer Integration via Onsite Locations

What speaks against FAST

Severe Valuation De-rating Risk

Peers and competitors

URI
GWW
FERG
SUNB
WCC

Trailing-twelve-month ratios
Ticker	P/E	P/S	EV/EBITDA	Gross margin	Net margin	FCF yield
FAST	41.0x	6.4x	28.4x	44.9%	15.4%	2.2%
URI	28.1x	4.2x	12.9x	36.3%	15.3%	1.0%
GWW	37.0x	3.6x	23.4x	39.2%	9.7%	2.1%
FERG	21.4x	1.4x	14.8x	30.7%	6.6%	2.3%
SUNB	24.2x	2.8x	9.8x	61.8%	11.8%	11.1%
WCC	23.5x	0.7x	14.5x	20.3%	2.8%	1.3%
Peer median	24.2x	2.8x	14.5x	36.3%	9.7%	2.1%

Frequently asked questions about Fastenal Co (FAST)

Is FAST stock a good investment?

The TradeMates model rates Fastenal Co as WATCH (do not buy) with an investment score of 48/100. FAST is an operationally perfect company trading at a price that leaves no margin for error. A 41x P/E for 10-12% growth is unsustainable in the current rate environment. This is algorithmic model output, not personal investment advice.

Is FAST stock a buy?

The TradeMates model verdict for FAST is WATCH (do not buy) with an investment score of 48/100. Treat this as a model signal to review, not a personal buy recommendation.